New peace agreements signed on November 24 between the Colombian government and FARC guerillas aim to revive a deal the two parties struck in September, after four years of negotiations.
While the new agreements will avoid the referendum pitfall that derailed the previous process, ending the longest running civil war in the Western Hemisphere will depend on political opponents accepting compromise—something they have been unwilling to do in the past.
Colombia perfectly illustrates the great complexities involved in effective peacebuilding and ending civil war. These complexities do not diminish once peace agreements are signed.
These agreements are promises, not realities, and only define what countries aim to become in the future. The structures that fed and bred violence likely remain; what changes and is meaningful is the political willingness of armed actors to stop the killing.
Colombia reached such an agreement with the September accords. Commendable as it was, it did not, however, involve other political parties and armed groups. This absence became a contentious issue and caused much of the agitation that disrupted progress.
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