International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons Wednesday December 9, 2015 in Ottawa.

International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons Wednesday December 9, 2015 in Ottawa.
Photo Credit: PC / Adrian Wyld

Canada invests in Colombian peace building efforts

Canada is stepping up its aid program to help peace building efforts in Colombia as the country emerges from nearly 50 years of civil war after the government and the largest rebel force signed a historic ceasefire last month.

International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced today Canada’s contribution of $57.4 million to fund five peace implementation projects, including demining and programs for women and youth.

Speaking to Radio Canada International from Bogota, Bibeau said Canada has committed to contribute $20 million over three years to support a multi-donor United Nations fund that helps the Colombian government implement peace in the most conflict-affected parts of the country.

“This is a fund for UN agencies and the government of Colombia to make sure that the people in the regions affected by the conflict will see the result, will see a change in their lives after the peace agreement,” Bibeau said.

(click to listen the full interview with Marie-Claude Bibeau)

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Canada will also contribute $12.5 million over five years for demining efforts in the war ravaged South American country.

This project will survey and clear mines in up to 10 Colombian municipalities, Bibeau said.

“Demining means giving back the land to the population, allowing women to cultivate their land, to feed their families, to earn a revenue out of it,” Bibeau said. “It also means allowing kids to go to school in a safer way.”

Bibeau’s visit to Colombia comes after the government and the largest rebel Marxist rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (also known as FARC) signed a historic ceasefire agreement on June 23, marking a major milestone in progress toward a final peace accord.

Bibeau said she had bilateral meetings with Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos and Rafael Pardo, senior presidential advisor for post-conflict, but had not met opposition politicians or leaders of FARC, which is considered a terrorist organization in Canada. Bibeau skirted a question whether the federal government plans to remove FARC from its terrorism list and help the rebel group get integrated in a legitimate political process.

“We believe in this peace process and we believe that especially the transitional justice process will allow the reconciliation between the different parties,” Bibeau said.

She said the government has also not made up its mind yet on whether Canada will participate in a peacekeeping operation in Colombia as urged by U.S. President Barack Obama during the Three Amigos Summit in Ottawa last week.

Foreign Affairs Stephane Dion is working on this file along with his cabinet colleagues Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Bibeau said.

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