Press Releases

Representative James P. McGovern (MA), a leading advocate in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the International Treaty to Ban Landmines, issued the following statement on the Colombian Humanitarian De-Mining Agreement:

"I congratulate the Colombian government and the FARC negotiating teams for reaching this historic agreement to begin the removal of anti-personnel landmines throughout Colombia.  After Afghanistan, Colombia is the most mine-affected country in conflict in the world, and it will take many years to fully remove all landmines from Colombia.  This concrete agreement also contributes to even greater confidence that the negotiations are serious, are moving forward and that a final peace accord will be achieved.

I hope the de-mining agreement is but the first of others to humanize and de-escalate the conflict and provide relief to the long-suffering Colombian people, especially those who live and work in rural communities.  I urge the Colombian Army, the FARC, Norwegian People's Aid, and other international organizations charged with carrying out the de-mining process to work together and  act expeditiously to bring immediate relief to those communities most affected by landmines and to put an end, once and for all time, to the use of this terrible and indiscriminate weapon.  I further call upon the ELN to join this initiative and stop its own use of anti-personnel landmines which has caused and continues to cause so much harm and anguish to the rural civilian population.” 

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