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Friday, 24 June 2016

Colombia Farc: Celebrations after ceasefire ends five decades of war

A woman cries as she watches a live broadcast from Havana of the ceremony of the agreement between the Colombian president and the head of the Farc rebels on a cease-fire and rebel disarmament deal, in Bogota, Colombia, 23 June
Hundreds of Colombians watched the announcement on a giant screen in downtown Bogota
Colombians are celebrating the signing of a ceasefire by the government and the Farc rebel movement, which ended 50 years of civil war. 

Women in Bogota hug as they celebrate the signing of a historic ceasefire deal between the Colombian government and FARC rebels, 23 June 2016.
People hugged each other and sang the national anthem
In the capital, Bogota, people took to the streets, hugging each other and singing the national anthem. The announcement is seen as one of the last steps before a full peace deal is signed, which is expected within weeks.
Colombians celebrate in downtown Bogota as they watch the signing of the ceasefire between the Government and the FARC guerrillas in Havana on a giant screen, on 23 June 2016
The signing of the ceasefire led to large celebrations with people waving the national flag
Colombians celebrate at Botero square in Medellin, Antioquia department, after the signing of the ceasefire between the Government and the FARC guerrillas in Havana, on 23 June 23, 2016.
People in Bogota left messages marking the end of the civil war
The longest-running insurgency in the Western hemisphere left some 220,000 people dead and millions displaced. Thursday's announcement in Havana caps formal peace talks that started three years ago in the Cuban capital.

But it does not mark the start of the ceasefire, which will only begin with the signing of a final accord.
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has previously said he hopes to sign that by the end of July.