Peace Talks in Colombia Break Down

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Peace Talks in Colombia Break Down

At this time Argentine society demands the solidarity and respect of everyone:
Statement from the government of Cuba

Geoff Hoon Outlines ISAF Troop Deployment in Kabul

Workers and Farmers Fight for their Interests:
Postal Union to Ballot for Industrial Action in Royal Mail
Drive to Save Steel Jobs on Teesside
Government Accused of Ignoring Needs of Welsh Farmers

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, People's Army (FARC-EP) on Wednesday denied government claims they had walked away from peace talks or asked for 48 hours to leave their safe haven. However, on Thursday Colombian President Andres Pastrana announced an end to the peace talks with the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces. And though he left the door ajar for a resumption of the peace process within 48 hours, FARC were abandoning the demilitarised zone they have controlled for three years as government troops awaited the order to enter the zone. With air support, government troops are preparing to enter the area on Saturday at 20:00 hours GMT.

Negotiations have teetered on the brink of collapse many times. But what seems to be the final break came after a three-month deadlock in talks, as the FARC refused to discuss a cease-fire with the government in protest at military air patrols and border restrictions on the enclave.

On January 8, leaders of FARC addressed James Lemoyne, Special Advisor of the Secretary General of the UN for the Peace Process in Colombia, saying: "Today we are holding a very important meeting of the National Table of Dialogue and Negotiation for the purpose of freeing the process from obstacles after three months of paralysis due to changes on the part of the government that unilaterally take measures to the extreme and affect the guarantees that sustain the Demilitarised Zone where the talks are proceeding.

"In the course of these three months we have held important meetings and consultations with various sectors of the country, among them the ones with representatives of the United Nations, which we valued highly. The linking of this international organism to the pursuit of a political solution to the social and armed conflict in our country is a positive development, which we have noted at many opportunities.

"In spite of the efforts realised, the National Government is trying to take to the extreme the measures unilaterally adopted last Oct. 7, in this way putting the process gravely at risk. It is a secret to no one that if this effort for a political solution fails, we Colombians will find ourselves put in the position of employing the diverse forms of struggle.

"For three years, we have persisted about the necessity of introducing profound economic, political and social changes in order to open the path to the political solution of the social and armed conflict in Colombia. Sadly, we have to state that the sectors within the establishment opposed to the possibility of these changes are still very strong and by means of violence they adhere to the present regime that guarantees them immoral privileges.

"After detailed analysis of the latest events related to the process, and the declarations of civilian and military officials of the government concerning the measures that have given rise to the stagnation of the dialogues, we have decided to take the position of awaiting decisions the President of the Republic could take in this regard on this coming January 20, in the interests of all Colombians. In that sense, Commandant Manuel Marulanda has sent a letter with new proposals to the President of the Republic, to try to free the process of obstacles.

"The Central General Staff of the FARC-EP has issued a public communiqué today notifying of its position on the present situation."

PUBLIC COMMUNIQUE

The Central Command of FARC-EP declares:

1. The unilateral changes to the guarantees which hold the Demilitarised Zone together, that were announced in the presidential speech last October 7, are the principal obstacle to the process and unless they are revised it will be impossible to make an advance despite the wishes of the majority of Colombians.

2. During the three months of paralysis of the process FARC-EP has presented different proposals which have not been taken into account by the National Government. To the contrary, it has carried to an extreme the announced measures which generate nothing but inconvenience and disruption of normal life for the population as a consequence of the exaggerated control exercised over the entry of shipments, medicines, merchandise and freedom of movement. At the same time we have heard from the mouths of Government representatives and high Military Commanders the affirmation that they are not prepared to negotiate any of the measures announced by the President in his speech.

3. It can be deduced that the unilateral change in the means by which the Zone functions is intended to entangle the process in the debate over mechanisms and procedures in order to prevent the discussion of political, economic and social themes which are the common concern of Colombians, such as reform of the political regime, unemployment, health, housing, education, the redistribution of wealth, pension and labour reforms, among others, from being taken up at the Table.

4. As long as the Regime persists in the idea of limited dialogues for the sole purpose of arranging the terms of surrender of the insurgency, it is going to be very difficult to move the process forward. The political solution of the social and armed conflict in our country requires bringing about profound changes in the economic system and in the political and social regime so that Colombia can avoid falling off the cliff as happened in Argentina.

5. We declare that we are prepared to continue seeking a way out of the present situation. In keeping with this spirit, Commandant Manuel Marulanda has sent a letter today to the President containing a proposal aimed at looking for ways to end the present stalemate.

6. We are certain that the President will know what is the most appropriate decision to make on behalf of the country on the coming 20th of January.

FARC-EP also issued the following communiqué to national and international public opinion.

1. As always, the conversations at the National Table of Dialogue and Negotiation which had been seeking to unblock the process ended in an atmosphere of cordiality, but no agreement was reached between the parties for the restoration of the guarantees of the demilitarised zone which were modified in a unilateral manner by the President of the Republic last October 7, 2001.

2. Once the meeting was over, the high commissioner for Peace lied to the country and the international community in a press conference when he said that the FARC-EP had asked for 48 hours as agreed by President Pastrana and Commandant Marulanda, for the Armed Forces to enter the demilitarised zone since agreements were not reached.

3. The attitude assumed by the high commissioner of intentionally throwing more fuel on the fire in moments when the future of the motherland requires humility, prudence and magnanimity is not in keeping with the duty he has been charged with.

4. We ratify what was expressed by the Central Command of FARC in a communiqué January 8, 2002 in that we are hoping the president will make the most appropriate decision for the country on January 20.

Signed, the spokespersons of FARC

Raul Reyes, Joaquin Gomez, Simon Trinidad, Andres Paris

Mountains of Colombia, January 8, 2002

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In a press conference from Los Pozos on January 9, the High Commissioner for Peace, Camilo Gomez, stated the FARC-EP had asked for the 48 hours agreed upon between President Pastrana and Commandant Manuel Marulanda as the guarantee for FARC to withdraw in case of the termination of the peace process.

But the spokespersons of the FARC-EP pointed out that they did not request the 48 hours in question, nor had they left the table. In line with the orientation of the Central General Staff, they said they were awaiting the presidential decision up until January 20.

FARC demanded an end to the flights over their encampments by warplanes; to the army road blocks in the name of paramilitarism in the area bordering the Zone, at which taxes are charged on the merchants, truckers and residents in general; to the restrictions on visits to the Zone by citizens and foreigners; to the sending of covert agents with plans to assassinate the guerrilla chiefs; plus a clarification by the government as to whether or not it considers the FARC-EP to be a terrorist organisation, in order to avoid giving interventionist pretexts to the United States. They say that these are the measures they have requested to have reviewed by the President and not, as is being claimed with bad intention, that they are looking for suspension of measures outside the Zone or near the Capital of the Republic.

With the intention of going forward, FARC had proposed that once the unilateral measures announced by the President last October 7 are lifted, they would dedicate themselves in the months of February and March to analysing the theme of a subsidy for the unemployed; and in April and May, to the matter of a cease-fire and cessation of hostilities, both issues contained in the San Francisco de la Sombra Accord.

FARC stress that unemployment, hunger, lack of education and health that affect the Colombian people will be solved by social investment and not the machines of war.

After a meeting of the civilian Peace National Committee with President Pastrana and Camilo Gomez in which the negotiation situation was analysed, Redepaz (an NGO) director, Ana Tereza Bernal, said that she hoped this crisis would bring some fresh air to the process.

She said: "I hope it has a solution. The president left an open door. There is [supervision] by the international community and a strong interest in the country to help and an NGO delegate on the Peace National Committee."

Cuba is carefully following developments in the sister Republic of Argentina.

The Cuban government has noted with great concern the huge pressures being exercised from outside the country in response to measures taken by the government headed by President Eduardo Duhalde in search of a way out of the dramatic situation existing there. The lack of comprehension and solidarity on the part of certain governments and transnational enterprises within the international financial system and its institutions has been made evident.

Argentina, the showcase of neo-liberal philosophy, has gone bankrupt. The real intentions of the predators of the American peoples have been exposed. The self-interest and ignoble way in which those who hold the greatest responsibility for the prostration of the Argentine people is shameful.

The enterprises and banks that obtained juicy profits from the sweat and sacrifice of that sister nation, the speculators and thieves who plundered that nation’s heritage and brought the country to bankruptcy, and the governments of certain developed countries that are now pressuring in defence of their interests should accept that the Argentine people deserve an opportunity to restore their nation.

At this time Argentine society demands the solidarity and respect of everyone.

The present moment needs to be one of comprehension and not of pressure, one of support for the measures, moreover legitimate ones, that the new government is attempting to apply in order to avert the nation’s definitive bankruptcy.

Cuba is confident that the Argentine nation will be able to overcome the difficult situation in which it currently finds itself, and expresses its sympathy for and support of all those Argentine government decisions which are effectively leading to the unrestricted defence of national interests, including the recovery of production and national industry, the promotion of its exports, job generation, the protection of its workers, its indispensable and much-needed entry into MERCOSUR and improved living standards for its people.

At this difficult time, and as always, Cuba stands solidly with the Argentine people.

In a House of Commons statement on Thursday, Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, set out details of the multi-national peacekeeping force planned for Afghanistan.

Amid a degree of confusion over the mandate of the force, and criticisms that its reliance on troops from European countries made it a "Euro-army" in all but name, Geoff Hoon said Britain would contribute up to 1,800 troops, as well as 300 army and RAF personnel repairing and operating Kabul airport.

He said that the International Security Assistance Force would be made up of troops from 17 countries besides Britain. Germany is sending 800, France 550, Italy 300, Spain 300, Greece 100 and the Netherlands 100. Other contributors are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and Turkey, which is expected to take over the leadership by the end of April.

The nature of the forces provided by those countries varies considerably in size and type, he said. The Austrians, Danes and Dutch are deploying forces as part of a German-led multinational infantry battlegroup; others are providing vital specialist troops. New Zealand, for example, is to provide headquarters staff and support troops; Norway has promised explosive ordnance disposal troops and other support troops; Romania has offered military police and air transport assets; and Turkey will help staff the headquarters and will deploy other troops as well.

While Canadian ministers have said the decision not to make use of their offer of 1,000 troops was influenced by European politics, Hoon said their "generous" offer had not been rejected.

"We were simply unable to accept it in its entirety from the outset," Hoon said. "In the end the Canadians decided to deploy their troops elsewhere, to Kandahar, to support continuing offensive operations in that region."

The Defence Secretary told MPs there would be a "significant reduction" in the British contribution to the force after three months, but that Britain would continue to support the deployment.

The 5,000-strong international force being sent to Kabul was "not a peacekeeping operation", but its role would be to "assist the Afghan interim administration", Geoff Hoon said.

The Defence Secretary said the International Security Assistance Force would take part in joint patrols with Afghan police, help in reconstruction, and assist the government to build and train security forces.

Officials said more than half the soldiers would be specialists such as engineers and others needed to provide infrastructure and logistics for the troops in a city lacking all essential services. Only about 2,000 would carry out patrols and protect the force.

Geoff Hoon said that the United States central command has authority over the ISAF to ensure that there is "no risk of its activities interfering with the successful completion of Operation Enduring Freedom". The membership of the security force will probably change over the next six months. Britain has agreed to lead the ISAF for its first three months.

The Defence Secretary said that Britain is still conducting military operations elsewhere in Afghanistan. The Royal Air Force is still flying reconnaissance and air-to-air refuelling sorties. The Navy, according to Geoff Hoon, is now playing an important role in the coalition maritime force in the region and is patrolling in the Arabian sea.

Commentators have been pointing out that more and more Pashtun leaders in Afghanistan, aware of the mounting civilian casualty toll from US bombing in the east of the country, are openly criticising the government of Hamid Karzai for backing the ISAF and the bombing.

One US study has suggested that several thousand civilians may have died in American raids in the last three months of 2001. In one operation in the province of Paktia on December 29, 53 villagers are said to have lost their lives.

"They (the Americans) have no respect for our culture, religion, or people," said Haji Shaker Ullha Jan, the president of the Pashtun Alliance of Independent Tribes.

Some leaders are warning of longer-term effects. One tribal head, Haji Saifullah Ahmadzia, told the BBC that the continued bombing was threatening the whole Afghan peace process. He called on the Kabul authorities and the US to stop the campaign or risk causing "deep hatred among the people towards the government and towards the international community".

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has decided to ballot its almost 150,000 members within Royal Mail for industrial action over their outstanding pay claim, which was due for introduction on the October 1.

The announcement comes weeks after the threat of a postal workers' strike was lifted after the CWU said it had struck a deal over jobs with Consignia, the renamed Post Office.

The Union is seeking a 5% pay claim and a commitment from the employer that they will increase basic pay to a minimum of £300 per week by October 2003.

CWU Deputy General Secretary (postal) John Keggie has informed the Consignia Board that after three months of negotiation the two per cent on offer is unacceptable and is a pittance compared to the massive salaries enjoyed by the Directors within the industry.

John Keggie said: "65 per cent of our members are still working six days a week, starting at 5.30 in the morning and in some cases even earlier. It is time for Consignia to treat its workforce fairly and decently.

"Take home pay for most postal workers is less than £150 per week and is quite frankly disgraceful. Consignia is striving to be a modern and forward-thinking company. It has a hell of a long way to go, but must start by treating its workforce fairly.

"We will be balloting our members for industrial action over the coming weeks but there is still time for Consignia to avoid a dispute.

"We value the service we provide to the public and we very much regret any disruption to service but the Consignia Board is treating its workforce unfairly and is risking further problems with their present 'head in the sand' attitude.

"Their offer of an increase worth less than £5.00 per week, when some Directors are earning over £4,000 a week is simply not on."

Consignia is aiming to cut costs by 15% - more than £1bn - by April 2003.

The company has dismissed as "speculative arithmetic" comments made by the chief executive that 30,000 jobs might have to go.

It shocked unions with the prospect of 30,000 job cuts in surprise evidence to a House of Commons select committee last month, but has since promised to discuss the plans and to try to ensure no compulsory redundancies. Consignia wants an agreement on job cuts by January 20, although the timetable may slip to the end of the month.

Union leaders on January 8 said that they were hopeful of saving more jobs on Teesside as the devastating cuts announced by steel giant Corus almost a year ago continue to bite.

Last February, the former British Steel announced it was to make 6,000 workers redundant across the country including more than 1,000 on Teesside.

Unions spent much of last year battling to keep the doomed Lackenby coil plate mill open. Although their attempts failed, all but three of around 230 former workers found work thanks to the efforts of the joint trade unions working with local management. A further 70 took voluntary redundancy.

Tony Poynter, chairman of the multi-union steel committee on Teesside, said work was underway to protect jobs at Steel House. Around 400 are based at the administration complex, which Corus plans to close by the end of the year. It wants to cut around 230 administration jobs across its sites on Teesside, Scunthorpe and Rotherham.

Tony Paynter added: "Things are still very difficult for the steel industry, but are slightly improved. Almost a year ago we were facing enormous difficulties. We're not complacent; we're still facing big problems." He went on to say: "Corus had said it was looking at the possibility of outsourcing some of its departments. At the moment they're still looking."

Unions are hoping to meet with managers in the next three to four weeks.

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett was accused on January 4 of ignoring the special needs of Welsh farmers who face higher production costs because of the country’s hilly and mountainous areas.

The accusation was made by Farmers’ Union of Wales president Bob Parry after Margaret Beckett told the Oxford Farming Conference more EU subsidies must be directed towards environmental protection and the countryside rather than supporting food production.

"The Minister has chosen to forget that under the Tir Mynydd support scheme, the EU recognises that certain areas, notably the hilly and mountainous areas such as Wales, are particularly difficult to farm. Production costs are much higher because of the permanent nature of the handicaps with which farmers in these areas have to contend and this is why over 80 per cent of Wales is designated as a Less Favoured Area for EU payments," Bob Parry said.

"With agriculture being the bed rock of the rural economy such support helps greatly in preventing outward migration from these areas and, surely, Mrs Beckett should realise the absence of EU payments would make it difficult for Welsh farming to compare with farming in more favourable areas. She should recognise the huge difference between the different styles of livestock production in Wales and cereal growing carried out by the grain barons on the other side of Offas Dyke who reap the bulk of the subsidies paid out to the UK," the FU of Wales president said.

"Tir Mynydd is a socio-economic payment to keep farmers on the land, and not an environmental scheme to support conservation objectives. But that doesn’t mean farmers are not interested in the proper maintenance of their environment and the countryside in general," Bob Parry said.

"Over two-thirds of the Welsh countryside is already subject to some environmental or conservation designations which are administered by a range of authorities. Tir Gofal is now the main agri-environmental support scheme running in Wales but there are insufficient resources to allow all farmers to take advantage of this scheme," he added.

In a separate statement, Bob Parry referred to a recent survey carried out by the FUW. The poll asked farmers to rate the performance of the Ministry of Agriculture/ Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during the foot and mouth epidemic, and also for their views on the National Assembly’s handling of farming matters in general.

As many as75 per cent of those questioned believed that MAFF/ DEFRA had performed badly during the crisis, with 59 per cent of those describing the Whitehall agencies as being poor - or worse. Only 18 per cent of those responding believed that MAFF/DEFRA had carried out their duties adequately, while 6.5 per cent rated them as good or better.

The National Assembly’s handling of agricultural affairs in general was described as good or better by 27 per cent of those surveyed, while a further 40 per cent believed the Assembly was doing an adequate job of looking after agriculture. Thirty three per cent believed the National Assembly was under-performing.

The survey also asked whether farmers would wish to see more powers for agriculture devolved to the National Assembly. It revealed that 77 per cent were in favour of the Assembly being given greater responsibility for farming, with only 11 per cent against.

FUW President Bob Parry said, "It is unfortunate that during the foot and mouth epidemic, the National Assembly could only act as agents to carry out DEFRA’s policies. The FUW has called for more agricultural powers to be devolved to the Assembly. We believe that if the Assembly had the same powers as the Scottish Parliament to deal with animal health matters, the foot and mouth outbreak in Wales would have been handled much more efficiently and would have been over much more quickly."

"The union has made campaigning for the transfer of these powers to the Assembly one of its priorities. The sooner the power to deal with all aspects of agricultural policy lies with us here in Wales instead of in London, the better it will be for every farmer in the country," said Mr Parry.