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UN Ends Disarmament in Colombia as FARC Honors Slain Rebel


A man places flowers on the grave of slain rebel leader Jorge Briceno, known as Mono Jojoy, during an homage by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, to one of their most prominent military strategists at a cemetery in southern Bogota, Colombia, Sept. 22, 2017.
A man places flowers on the grave of slain rebel leader Jorge Briceno, known as Mono Jojoy, during an homage by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, to one of their most prominent military strategists at a cemetery in southern Bogota, Colombia, Sept. 22, 2017.

The United Nations has finished deactivating thousands of weapons and munitions that once belonged to demobilized leftist rebels in Colombia.

In a ceremony Friday attended by President Juan Manuel Santos and leaders from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the U.N. said it had collected a total of 8,994 firearms and more than 38 tons of explosives.

While the FARC appears to have honored its commitment to disarm, many are doubtful it will begin confessing to war crimes and compensating victims as required by last year's peace deal.

In a separate event Friday, 50 rebel leaders laid flowers at the grave of one of the FARC's most prominent but also cruelest military strategist. The rebel commander known by his alias, Mono Jojoy, was killed in combat in 2010.

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