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CARTAGENA, Colombia, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) leader Timoleon Jimenez met Monday to sign a peace deal ending the 52-year war between Bogota and the organization.
Accompanied by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the presidents of Cuba, Ecuador and other Latin American countries, the two leaders signed the agreement, which was finalized last month in Cuba's capital Havana, with pens made from bullets to symbolize the transition to peace.
Ban spoke first after the signing ceremony, recalling that when he visited Colombia five years ago, he had seen the foundations of peace being laid.
He praised the Colombian people "who never lost hope in peace."
The UN chief also hailed the fact that the peace process had brought "victims to the forefront." "What they have lost can never be returned. Yet victims have been among the strongest voices for peace. I encourage you to continue on this path," he said.
Ban described the signing of the agreement as a "bidding of farewell to decades of flames, and sending up of a bright flare of hope that illuminates the entire world."
"We have lived, we have suffered, for 52 years, an armed conflict between the sons of the same nation," said Santos. "Today, Colombia and the international community ... hail the peace agreement as the best news in a world convulsed by war, conflict, intolerance and terrorism."
His chant of "No more war" was picked up by the crowd in attendance, who repeated it over and over again.
In a gesture to the FARC, Santos said that "as you begin your path of return to society, as you begin your transition to a political movement without weapons ... as head of state of a nation we all love, I welcome you to democracy. To exchange bullets for votes, weapons for ideas, is the bravest and most intelligent decision that any subversive group can take."
Santos acknowledged future political challenges facing the country. "We will surely never agree on the political or economic model our country should follow," he said, referring to the FARC's ideology. "But I will defend with all my determination your right to express your ideas within a democratic setting. This is the essence of liberty."
Speaking before Santos, Jimenez took a conciliatory approach, pledging that the country's largest guerrilla group would lay down its arms for good.
"Let nobody doubt that we will enter politics without weapons. Let us all be ready to disarm our minds and our hearts," he said. "With the agreement we signed today, we hope to put an end to the long history of violence that has made our country bleed."
In a much anticipated moment, Jimenez formally apologized for all the violence caused by the FARC during the conflict. "I would like to ask for forgiveness for all the pain that we have caused during the war."
Jimenez called the agreement a victory for the entire Colombian people and the international community, adding that the FARC derived enormous satisfaction from the fact that the peace process in Colombia is a reference to finding solutions to conflicts in the world.
"May God bless Colombia. The war has ended. We begin to build peace," he said.
This day came after more than four years of negotiations in Havana. The two sides came to an agreement on five points: rural development, the FARC's participation in political life, the end of the conflict, the struggle against drug trafficking and reparations to victims.
The last step will be taken on Oct. 2, when the Colombian people will vote on whether to accept the agreement or not. Recent opinion polls showed a large majority were in favor of it.
