Bogotá, December 26 (RHC-teleSUR) -- Overtures toward peace for 2015 in Colombia include land reform and future participation in politics, as well as the release of a captive Colombian soldier.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has set peace as its New Year resolution for 2015 in continuing negotiations with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, after a unilateral cease-fire went into effect on December 20th.

“The amount of blood shed by combatants and the suffering of their families have been immensely large in this war between brothers. Therefore, there is no valid argument to extend this absurd confrontation,” the guerrilla group stated in a New Year's communique.

Both sides have agreed on land reform, the FARC’s future participation in Colombian politics and the fight against drug trafficking. However, no agreement has been reached regarding how victims of the over 50-year conflict should be compensated and on final details of ending the armed conflict.

The FARC also insisted again Thursday that an impartial entity such as the International Committee of the Red Cross or a regional intra-governmental organization verify the cease-fire.

As opposed to previous cease-fires proposed over the holidays since the peace talks began in November 2012, this year’s announcement by the FARC includes the provision that the cease-fire would be indefinite, as long as government forces do not attack FARC installations.

The FARC emerged in 1964 out of a Marxist-influenced agrarian movement for land reform in Colombia and has been involved in a protracted conflict in the rural regions throughout the country ever since.