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Havana
Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels agreed on Sunday to remove child soldiers from their ranks as part of the peace deal they are close to signing with the government.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) agreed to"implement departure of those under 15 years of age as soon as terms are agreed upon," the parties said in a statement from Cuba, which is hosting peace negotiations.
Terms must still be set on how the children will be transitioned and reintegrated back into society.
Talks remain underway over the fate of FARC members between the ages of 15 and 18, as well as those under the age of 15 involved in war crimes, the statement said.
News of the agreement comes as the FARC and representatives of the Colombian government of President Juan Manuel Santos negotiate terms of a definitive ceasefire, one of the last major points before a peace deal can be struck to end Latin America's longest-running civil war.
"We reached a historic agreement in Havana to get children out of the war," Santos wrote on Twitter, adding that the youths would be sent back to their families. Lead government negotiator Humberto de la Calle said the agreement was"a crucial advance in the process of putting a full stop to the war."
