UNITED NATIONS, Rabi'II 10, 1437, January 20, 2016, SPA -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is welcoming a request by Colombia's government and its largest rebel group for the United Nations to monitor and verify a future cease-fire that could end Latin America's longest-running guerrilla conflict, according to AP. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Ban also welcomes their request to members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC, to contribute international observers to the mission to be established by the U.N. Security Council. The secretary-general congratulated the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia "on yet another significant step toward the peaceful resolution of the armed conflict," Haq said in a statement Wednesday. Negotiators for the two sides announced the request for a 12-month U.N. mission on Tuesday at peace talks in Havana. --SPA 22:09 LOCAL TIME 19:09 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w