Colombia: government, rebels agree to landmine removal

(Vatican Radio) Colombia’s government and FARC rebels have agreed to work side by side to try and remove landmines that have been deployed during the course of the more than half a century of strife.

Click below to hear the report from correspondent James Blears

The joint landmine agreement was reached at the peace talks in Cuba, which have been going on for more than two years to end a civil war which started back in 1964.  Since then thousands of men, women and children have been killed or maimed by the festering menace of landmines. The vital key to success in removing them, involves poring over maps and more localized knowledge, indicating where they've been sown.

This counts less on formal  memory, and more on local knowledge.

The Chief Government Negotiator Humberto De La Calle, who's also a former Vice President of Colombia, is describing this as a giant step forward. It's also being welcomed by President Juan Manuel Santos who's praising both sides. 

This more than half century conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions more.