Word that government officials and leftist rebel leaders have reached an agreement to end El Salvador's 12-year civil war has touched off celebrations in that country's capital. But while the news is heartening, the peace accord is only words on paper at this point. The real test will come in trying to implement the end of the long struggle.
The negotiations lasted 20 months under the auspices of outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar and the deal was fittingly reached on the final moments of his last day in office. The accord - if it holds - would be a tribute to both Perez de Cuellar and the U.N., which increasingly is making its influence felt in peace efforts around the globe.The end of the Cold War probably played a significant role in the end to fighting. The rebels - known as the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, or FMLN - had received much of their aid through Nicaragua and Cuba. But the Marxist Sandinistas lost power in the 1990 Nicaraguan elections and the collapse of the Soviet empire left Cuba on the brink of bankruptcy. Without that support, the rebels may have decided that time wasn't on their side.
However, any long civil war has its own impetus and cannot always be simply switched off like a motor. Old hatreds, sufferings, suspicions and fears will have to be brought under control slowly.
The pact includes such difficult hurdles as creation of a new national civil police and integration of former guerrillas into security forces, as well as dealing with social and economic differences.
Many details still have to be worked out before a formal signing of the agreement takes place in Mexico Jan. 16. It is those details that hold the most problems and dangers.
The 12-year war killed an estimated 75,000 people and did extensive other damage. U.N. officials estimate that it could take as much as $900 million to rebuild the country. Since the United States provided more than $1 billion in military aid during the dozen years of fighting, Washington also ought to make an investment in the cause of peace in El Salvador.