BOGOTA， June 24 (Xinhua) -- June 23 will be remembered in history as the day when the longest war on the American continent came to an end.
The armed conflict between the Colombian government and the guerrilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) lasted over 50 years and left behind 7.5 million victims， including deaths， injuries， missing persons and displaced people. The historic ceasefire agreement reached Thursday between the government and the FARC represents hope that future generations in the South American country can live without the horrors of conflict.
However， experts regard the agreement as only the beginning of a new stage that comes with a series of challenges. For one， Columbians will have to learn how to forgive.
Meanwhile the Colombian government must offer ordinary Colombians， including the former guerrillas， the necessary conditions to live decently anywhere in the country.
During an exclusive interview with Xinhua， Benjamin Creutzfeldt， a professor from the political science department of the University of los Andes， compared Thursday's event to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
"Just like Germany hasn't completely eliminated the differences between the East and the West after two decades since the fall of the wall， I am convinced that overcoming the memories of the armed conflict in Colombia will take several decades，" Creutzfeldt said.
True peace will not arrive in Colombia until inequality is combatted since poverty and poor education could generate new outbreaks of violence， the professor explained.
Special efforts should be made to equally distribute arable land， according to Creutzfeldt， otherwise a conflict for control of the land and strategic routes will continue， which may lead to long lasting social and economic tension.
Another challenge facing the government is to finalize the peace process with the National Liberation Army (ELN)， the second largest guerrilla movement in the country which， according to official figures， has 2，500 men involved in their cause.
However， Creutzfeldt warned that even if the FARC and the ELN demobilize their forces after signing the peace agreements， their members may continue to act on their own accord.
Professor Lilia Solano， also a human rights defender， called Thursday a "definitive day" as the agreement was reached after almost four years of negotiations in Havana， Cuba.
"The government took the step recognizing that the only way to achieve peace was to stop bombing， stop the use of weapons， cease military action， and that was not easy，" Solano said.
The activist said that even though the majority of Colombians support the peace process， there is a threat from the opposition headed by former president Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010)， who is currently touring the country collecting signatures against the process.
Journalist Fabiola Leon with Reporters Without Borders told Xinhua that the media's job in Colombia is fundamental at this moment in terms of preventing misinformation about the peace process.
"It is time for the media to play a leading role in teaching peace which is very necessary at this time，" the journalist said.
Leon said that in a polarized country like Colombia， some journalists or media have taken sides and that prevents citizens from being properly informed.
"For that reason I see this impartiality a big challenge for local media when it comes to spreading information about the peace process，" he said.
For Thursday to go down in history as "the last day of war in Colombia，" Leon noted， Colombians should support the treaty signed in Havana.
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25.06.2019 04:38
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