▁out right ▁combat ▁with ▁the ▁army , ▁instead ▁concentr ating ▁on ▁small - scale ▁amb ush es ▁against ▁isolated ▁army ▁units . ▁Meanwhile , ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁F AR C ▁opt ed ▁to ▁attack ▁police ▁pat rol s ▁with ▁home - made ▁mort ars , ▁sni per ▁rif les , ▁and ▁explos ives , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁considered ▁strong ▁enough ▁to ▁eng age ▁police ▁units ▁directly . ▁This ▁followed ▁the ▁tr end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁during ▁the ▁strength ening ▁of ▁Colomb ian ▁government ▁forces . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁the ▁F AR C ▁signed ▁a ▁ce ase fire ▁accord ▁with ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁Colombia , ▁Juan ▁Manuel ▁Santos ▁in ▁Hav ana . ▁This ▁accord ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁historic ▁step ▁to ▁ending ▁the ▁war ▁that ▁has ▁gone ▁on ▁for ▁fifty ▁years . ▁On ▁ 2 5 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁president , ▁Juan ▁Manuel ▁Santos , ▁announced ▁that ▁four ▁years ▁of ▁neg ot iation ▁had ▁secured ▁a ▁peace ▁deal ▁with ▁F AR C ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁national ▁refer endum ▁would ▁take ▁place ▁on ▁ 2 ▁October . ▁The ▁refer endum ▁failed ▁with ▁ 5 0 . 2 4 % ▁voting ▁against . ▁The ▁Colomb ian ▁government ▁and ▁the ▁F AR C ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁November ▁ 2 4 ▁signed ▁a ▁re vised ▁peace ▁deal , ▁which ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁Congress ▁approved ▁on ▁November ▁