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ELN official says two sides took ‘first steps’ in the direction of a brief ceasefire as negotiations in Mexico Metropolis conclude.
Colombia’s authorities and the left-wing Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN) insurgent group have hailed progress of their efforts to finish a long time of armed battle within the South American nation, as a second round of peace talks concluded in Mexico Metropolis.
The negotiations come as a part of an effort by President Gustavo Petro – the nation’s first left-wing chief and former M-19 insurgent – to achieve peace or give up offers with armed teams and produce “complete peace” to Colombia.
The ELN, based by Catholic clergymen in 1964, is the nation’s largest remaining rebel organisation.
“We took the primary steps to agency up a bilateral, nationwide and short-term ceasefire which is able to create higher situations for Colombians’ mobilisation and participation within the peace course of,” the ELN’s Pablo Beltran mentioned on Friday.
Congratulations to the #Colombia authorities and the #ELN guerilla on substantial progress within the peace talks in Mexico, on key matters like participation, humanitarian aid & future stop fireplace.
Norway stands prepared to help as guarantor nation in subsequent spherical of talks in Cuba. pic.twitter.com/j4BckmQYa5— Norway MFA (@NorwayMFA) March 10, 2023
Otty Patino, the top of the Colombian authorities’s delegation, mentioned making a ceasefire can be a prime problem for the subsequent cycle of talks set to happen in Cuba, as will growing a “pilot plan” for peace and increasing participation within the negotiations.
The primary spherical of peace talks, held within the Venezuelan capital of Caracas late final yr, resulted in diverging narratives. Colombia’s authorities introduced a truce had been reached whereas the ELN denied it had accepted any such settlement, saying a ceasefire “was merely a proposal to be thought-about”.
Earlier negotiations with the ELN have faltered amid the group’s diffuse chain of command and dissent inside its ranks.
In 2019, conservative former President Ivan Duque referred to as off peace talks with the ELN after a car bomb attack on a police academy in Bogota that killed 22 individuals.
ELN leaders have mentioned fighters are on board with the present talks.
On Friday, Norway and Mexico, which have served as facilitators within the negotiations, hailed their progress.
“Congratulations to the [Colombian] authorities and the #ELN guerilla on substantial progress within the peace talks in Mexico, on key matters like participation, humanitarian aid & future stop fireplace,” Norway’s international affairs ministry tweeted.
The ELN has about 2,500 remaining fighters and has been accused of financing itself by way of drug trafficking, unlawful mining and kidnappings.
Petro, who received the election in June, has additionally mentioned he plans to completely implement a previous accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed in 2016.
Greater than 450,000 people have been killed in practically 60 years of armed battle within the nation.
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