Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy in Cuba for Colombian peace initiative

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

Sinn Féin MP meeting FARC negotiators to share experiences of the Irish Peace Process

NEWRY & ARMAGH Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy is in Cuba as part of a cross-party delegation from the Six Counties to help progress peace process talks between the Colombian Government and the rebel FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army).

A land reform agreement – including the economic and social development of rural areas and land for poor farmers – was reached in Cuba last Sunday between the Colombian Government and the left-wing FARC.

The next stage of the talks begins on 11 June and includes the rebels’ participation in the political process.

The delegation the Sinn Féin MP is part of is organised by Justice for Colombia, with the help of Colombians for Peace and the Congressional Peace Commission.

The visit is a follow-on from the November 2012 visit that met with President Juan Manuel Santos and members of the Colombian negotiation team.

Other members of the delegation from Ireland are Jeffrey Donaldson of the DUP, unionist John McCallister and Conall McDevitt of the SDLP, who all met the Colombian government last November. 

During his time in Cuba, Conor – who was an international observer at the recent elections in Venezuela – will be meeting with FARC negotiators and sharing the valuable experiences of the Irish Peace Process.

Speaking from Cuba, Conor said the cross-party delegation will be the first international public delegation to meet with the FARC since the peace process began.

“Dialogue and sharing our experience is important,” he said. “While one peace process cannot be simply transplanted to another situation, there are undoubtedly valuable lessons that can be learned for the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent negotiations.

“The timing of the trip is especially important as parties to the Colombian conflict have only this week advanced their own peace process through reaching an initial agreement on land issues.

“We hope that through talking to all participants of this particular conflict we can impress how central dialogue is to the process.”