NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #19/NN_1992_19.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/6220

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: El Salvador: Proceso 527: Peace Process
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/** reg.elsalvador: 160.0 **/
** Topic: Proceso 527: Peace Process **
** Written  9:38 pm  Aug 31, 1992 by [e-mail] in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
From: [e-mail] (Centro de Informacion Documentacion y Apoyo a la Invest. - UCAJSC)
Subject: Proceso 527: Peace Process

Center for Information, Documentation and Research Support (CIDAI)
Central American University (UCA)
San Salvador, El Salvador

PROCESO 527
August 26, 1992

PEACE PROCESS:
After Goulding's visit

     On August 19, two days after the U.N. Secretary General
Adjunct for Peacekeeping Operations, Marrack Goulding, left El
Salvador, his visit already showed concrete and positive results
for the peace process, getting it back on track. With the good
offices of ONUSAL, the government and the FMLN tied up the
negotiations aimed at rescheduling the measures set forth in the
peace accords which had been delayed, some of which had not been
carried out even after a previous rescheduling in mid-June. This
time both sides agreed to take a series of concrete and urgent
measures to ensure swifter execution of the delayed peace accords.
These measures are related to the end of the armed conflict, as
well as the rest of the issues which should have been implemented
simultaneously with the date on which the FMLN's military structure
is to be completely dismantled. Of course, this rescheduling has no
negative effect on other agreements scheduled to be completed on
later dates.
     The principal commitments made constitute a revised schedule
covering the points detailed below. The majority of these must be
complied with over the next four weeks, as Marrack Goulding
suggested before leaving the country. The rescheduled commitments
are the following:
     a. Total concentration of FMLN forces and the deposit of all
their weapons, which will be added to those included in the
inventories already given to ONUSAL.
     b. Initiation of programs to help former combatants rejoin
civilian life, including emergency aid packages, and final design
of medium-term programs to be executed later on.
     c. Initiation of courses at the National Academy for Public
Security, along with all measures necessary to insure continuity
and full operations, especially including rapid reconstruction of
the Academy's buildings and grounds, and measures to make sure the
National Civilian Police begins working as soon as possible.
     d. Initiation of the process of transferring already-verified
State lands, measures to facilitate the verification of the FMLN
land inventory on the part of the COPAZ Special Agrarian
Commission, as well as negotiating purchase by the State, where
applicable, of lands to be transferred later.
     e. Provisions aimed at swiftly re-establishing public
administration in former conflict zones, and the definition of a
special security regime there.
     f. Adoption of legislative and other measures aimed at
effectively replacing the Armed Forces Territorial Service with a
new regime of military and reserve service.

The current state of the peace process

     The delays seen in the peace process to date, and the efforts
made to overcome them, signify a decisive -and thereby critical-
moment for the process. The United Nations, which must guarantee
and verify the execution of the accords, is determined to stick as
closely as possible to the original compliance schedule, in order
to meet any possible non-compliance head on. For this reason, the
U.N. and the government are equally committed to the October 31
deadline for definitively ending the armed conflict.
     Of course, a complete end to the armed conflict means not only
dismantling the entire FMLN military structure, but also, at the
same time, the irreversible consolidation of the processes of
reducing and cleansing the Armed Forces, the establishment of a
public security structure free of the problems of the past, as well
as the beginning of socio-economic assistance programs to help
former rebel combatants rejoin civilian life. In these last two
aspects, the process has begun to show the beginnings of an
effective solution. In contrast, it is still to early to evaluate
progress with regard to reducing and cleansing the Armed Forces.
     The FMLN insists that it is fully willing to comply with the
demobilization of its combatants if the government carries out its
delayed commitments. In this context, next September 16 the United
Nations will perform an important evaluation of progress made in
executing the accords on the basis of the revised schedule. And the
FMLN has committed to demobilizing its next contingent of
combatants on September 21.

Government accords which are in the process of execution

     In the framework of the measures aimed at ensuring proper
reintegration into civil society on the part of former FMLN
combatants, the government has begun to execute emergency
assistance plans, and has also finally begun the process of
verifying the inventory of lands in conflict zones which must be
transferred to former rebels.
     On August 18, the National Reconstruction Secretariat began
delivering the first set of household goods and agricultural tools
to former FMLN combatants. One of the ceremonies took place in
Guillermo Ungo City, located near Suchitoto (Cuscatlan), where
former combatants and their families received the abovementioned
goods. The event was coordinated by a non-governmental agency and
took place in the presence of members of ONUSAL.
     The COPAZ Special Agrarian Commission announced on August 24
that it would begin the process of inspecting lands in conflict
zones in order to speed up the transfer to former combatants.
Commission members estimate that the process could take about 15
weeks, after which time the Commission will send its report to the
Land Bank in order for this agency to begin purchase-sale
transactions. Commission members reached an agreement with the FMLN
to place a priority on 537 properties to be transferred first.
These are only part of the 4,666 properties claimed by the FMLN.
The lands to be verified subsequently will be those offered to
COPAZ by landowners willing to sell, and following that, the
process will continue with FMLN settlements located in different
parts of the country.
     On August 21, the government also awarded 2,600,000 colones
($306,000) in technical-vocational training to former FMLN
combatants and government soldiers. The funds were paid by the
National Reconstruction Secretariat to five non-governmental
training institutions which will teach the beneficiaries skills
such as auto mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, masonry, sewing
and others. The courses will last approximately five months.
     For the time being, the peace process appears to have
weathered another storm. Nevertheless, September 16 is just around
the corner, and the task at hand, especially for the government, is
immense.


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