Bogotá, November 10 (teleSUR-RHC)-- FARC leader Timochenko confirmed on Tuesday orders to the Colombian armed guerrilla movement to stop buying weapons and munitions, marking a major contribution in efforts to de-escalate over 50 years of armed conflict.  The rebel group and Colombian government hope to reach a final peace agreement by March of next year.

On his Twitter account on Tuesday, Timochenko addressed President Juan Manuel Santos saying that he had instructed the FARC to cease arms purchases on September 30th. 

Timochenko’s reiterated order comes after the FARC called on the government during the current round of peace negotiations in Havana to agree to a bilateral truce ahead of the final cease-fire agreement to help ease tensions and uphold the peace process amid threats to the unilateral FARC cease-fire launched in July.

The FARC has raised concern about increased military deployments and a spike in paramilitary activity that risk breaking down the unilateral FARC cease-fire and undermining progress of the peace process three years in the making. 

The announcement also comes after Minister of Interior Juan Fernando Cristo said Monday that the government sees the FARC laying down its weapons as a precursor to granting the movement the right to political participation.