اقرأ المحتوى باللغة العربية
Bogotá, Colombia, July 6, 2025 — The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies has concluded a week-long study tour to Colombia, exploring the country’s peace process, transitional justice system, and approaches to inclusive reconciliation. The trip gathered insights into the design of peace processes and transitional justice frameworks to help inform the Sana’a Center’s ongoing work on justice and reconciliation in Yemen.
The visit, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was carried out in partnership with Yemen’s DeepRoot Consulting and involved participation from members of the Hikma Fellowship. The study tour in Colombia was organized by Fundación Acordemos, a Bogotá-based organization founded in 2023 by members of the team behind Colombia’s historic peace agreement with the FARC.
The Sana’a Center delegation—which included Yasmeen al-Eryani, Executive Director for Knowledge Production, and members of the Transitional Justice team— engaged directly with key Colombian figures and institutions that played central roles in the country’s historic peace process. This included: H.E. Sergio Jaramillo Caro, former High Commissioner for Peace and now President of Fundación Acordemos; H.E. Humberto de la Calle, Colombia’s former Vice President and chief negotiator at the Havana peace talks; H.E. Antonio Lizarazo, a former magistrate of the Constitutional Court; Leyner Palacios, who served as Truth Commissioner and represented victims during the negotiations; and Diego Ferney Tovar, a former FARC commander and a signatory to the 2016 peace agreement.
Over 12 thematic sessions, the delegation explored negotiation strategies, transitional justice mechanisms, reintegration of ex-combatants, victims’ rights, territorial development, and the judiciary’s role in the peace process. Discussions provided the Sana’a Center with direct insights into the complexities of Colombia’s path to peace. Their experiences help inform the Sana’a Center’s transitional justice efforts, particularly in developing a Yemeni-driven roadmap focused on judicial reform, victims’ rights and inclusion, local reconciliation mechanisms, and constructive regional engagement.
A pivotal part of the tour was a field visit to Valledupar, in the conflict-affected department of Cesar, and the village of Conejo in La Guajira. There, the delegation met with former combatants and local communities in Territorial Areas for Training and Reintegration (TATR). Originally established as Transitory Zones for Normalization (ZVTN) under the 2016 peace agreement, these zones have since evolved into important models for reintegration and grassroots peacebuilding.
“Colombians learned from past failed negotiations that peace is never straightforward–it demands deep transformation across legal, security, and societal structures, alongside serious regional diplomacy to create the conditions for meaningful talks. Above all, it requires genuine political will,” said Yasmeen al-Eryani, Executive Director for Knowledge Production at the Sana’a Center. “This visit gave us much to reflect on. And while there is much to learn from Colombia, we are also mindful that Yemenis must design a process that is rooted in their own context.”
Fundación Acordemos noted that it had “the privilege of organizing a visit focused on peacebuilding in Colombia with a delegation from Yemen, composed of representatives from the Sana’a Center and DeepRoot Consultancy, to exchange experiences and deepen understanding of lessons learned in Colombia that can be applied to peace and stability efforts in Yemen. Although these countries are separated by thousands of kilometers and have conflicts of different natures, through dialogues with experts, ex-combatants, communities, and victims, we identified common ground and shared experiences that can provide valuable insights to continue the work of pursuing peace in Yemen. While Colombia still has a long way to go, these exchanges inspire us to continue strengthening our efforts to overcome violence and achieve territorial transformation through peace agendas.”
About the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies
The Sana’a Center is an independent think tank that seeks to foster change through knowledge production and dialogue. The Center specializes in Yemen and the surrounding region, offering in-depth research and analysis on political, economic, and social issues.
About Fundación Acordemos
Fundación Acordemos is a Bogotá-based organization founded in 2023 by members of the team behind Colombia’s historic peace negotiations with the FARC. Drawing from their experience in designing and implementing the 2016 peace agreement, the Foundation works to preserve and share the knowledge gained from that process. Bringing together former officials from the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, along with international experts and practitioners, Acordemos focuses on supporting peace processes both within Colombia and globally. Its members contribute insights from their work in conflict settings such as Venezuela, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Nigeria, applying their expertise to a range of negotiation and mediation efforts worldwide.
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