A historic moment came when FARC announced a peace deal approval with the government, taking Colombia a step closer to ending one of the world’s longest-running civil wars.

CCTV America’s Toby Muse reports. Follow Toby Muse on Twitter @tobymuse

Over 200 delegates of the FARC voted to lay down their arms and transition from an armed insurgency to a political party at the group’s 10th general conference.

Now, the FARC’s leadership and the Colombian president will sign the peace deal. The FARC will then enter into protected areas which will be verified by the United Nations and begin the process of disarming.

The vote caps off a week of parties and concerts, reflecting a sense of optimism among guerrillas that peace is near. About thousand guests and journalists mingled with more than a thousand guerrillas.

FARC guerrillas said they’re looking forward to leaving the jungles, their home for the past 52 years.

The FARC has insisted that even as it disarms, it’s not giving up on its dreams of taking power and turning Colombia into a Marxist-Leninist state.

The FARC’s biggest worry is that the government will not hold up its end of the bargain and will not take down the guerrillas old foes, the illegal far-right paramilitaries.

If there is a slaughter of unarmed guerrillas, the FARC warns it could be forced back into the jungles.

The war dragged on for half a century. The peace process has lasted nearly four years. Now begins the equally long job of building a new Colombia where old enemies can live side by side in peace.

FARC members transition into Colombian society after peace deal

The Colombian President has said that the government estimates more than 17,000 FARC members to turn in their arms with the signing of this peace deal.

A government agency is in charge of making the transition from guerrilla warfare to civilian life as smooth as possible for these former rebels.

CCTV’s Michelle Begue has more.