Colombia, ELN rebels to renew peace talks in Mexico in February

By Mayela Armas and Luis Jaime Acosta

CARACAS (Reuters) – Colombia and the Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN) insurgent group mentioned on Saturday they are going to resume peace talks in Mexico subsequent month, overcoming a current deadlock after the federal government not too long ago declared after which referred to as off a bilateral ceasefire.

There was a primary cycle of talks final 12 months in Caracas to finish the guerrillas’ half in almost six a long time of warfare.

The about-face on the ceasefire got here after ELN mentioned it had not agreed to it. The federal government blamed a misunderstanding of the ELN’s place.

Each side held an emergency assembly in Caracas this week and agreed to carry the second spherical of negotiations on Feb. 13 in Mexico, one of many guarantor nations for the talks together with Norway, Venezuela, Cuba and Chile.

“In mentioned cycle, the difficulty of society’s participation in peace constructing might be addressed. On the identical time, a bilateral ceasefire will start to be mentioned and agreed upon,” mentioned an announcement issued following the emergency assembly.

Colombia and the ELN mentioned they might collectively study progress in implementing agreements reached through the first cycle of talks and agreed to maintain communication channels open even when not on the negotiating desk.

For the ceasefire to work, “it’s important to agree on the principles of the sport and protocols, and these protocols in flip cowl the armed forces and the ELN. That can take time,” mentioned Pablo Beltran, head of the ELN delegation.

Beltran mentioned he hopes to advance “considerably within the settlement” on the subsequent assembly in Mexico.

The federal government has mentioned ceasefires stay in pressure with one other 4 teams: two dissident teams based by former FARC rebels and crime gangs the Clan del Golfo and Self-Defenses of the Sierra Nevada.

President Gustavo Petro, a former member of the M-19 city guerrilla group and who took workplace final 12 months, has pledged to hunt peace agreements or give up offers with armed teams of all stripes.

(Reporting by Mayela Armas in Caracas and Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota; Further reporting by Johnny Carvajal; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Enhancing by David Gregorio)