Silencing the guns: Colombia

​After agreeing to a peace deal last week, the Colombian government and FARC rebels are officially to end their fighting today. The accord built on a series of de-escalation measures: the FARC had called a unilateral ceasefire in July 2015, and the government answered with a suspension of air raids; but some hostilities continued. Despite this more comprehensive deal, the FARC will not yet start handing over weapons. Its leadership must first meet to ratify the agreement. Once they have done so—at a “guerrilla conference” scheduled for mid-September—the two sides will sign the deal at a formal ceremony, to which Barack Obama and others heads of state will be invited. Then it will be the turn of 33m Colombian voters, who are to pass judgment on the accord on October 2nd. Polls are mixed but the government is confident of approval. With peace so long in coming, rejection would be a tragedy