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UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday that all must be done to prevent a return to violence in Colombia, while reiterating UN's firm support to peace efforts in the country.
Colombia's peace process has plunged into uncertainty as the Colombian people narrowly rejected a peace deal between the Colombian government and the country's largest rebel group -- Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- in a referendum.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, after the vote, Ban welcomed the public commitment from the Colombian government and FARC as well as the country's political forces to continue working to end the country's armed conflict and build a lasting peace.
"While political efforts are undertaken to assess the way forward, the Secretary-General believes all must be done to maintain calm and prevent a return to violence," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.
Ban also said he has instructed his Special Representative, Jean Arnault, to travel to Havana on Monday to continue his consultations with the parties.
The conflict between the Colombian government and the FARC started in the 1960s due to an uprising over land rights.
Statistics show that the 52-year-long civil war has left 220,000 people dead, 25,000 missing and more than 5.7 million homeless in the country. The estimated economic loss of the country has reached 179 billion U.S. dollars.
