Colombia govt and rebels resume peace talks

BOGOTA: Colombia’s government and leftist FARC rebels resume peace talks in Cuba after a threeweek break, under pressure to finally end their decades-long conflict.

The long-time rivals launched the negotiations in October last year, their fourth attempt in three decades to end a conflict that has left 600,000 people dead, 15,000 missing and four million displaced since 1964.

After a holiday break on Dec 22, the talks take on increasing urgency this year, as President Juan Manuel Santos has warned that the negotiations must conclude by November.

Chief government negotiator Humberto de la Calle said on Sunday that Bogota wanted to pick up the pace of its negotiations with Marxist FARC rebels.

“We really need to get things moving. I want to make that known to people in general, as well as to the FARC,” former vicepresident de la Calle said before his departure for Havana.

We really need to get things moving. I want to make that known to people in general, as well as to the FARC. — HUMBERTO DE LA CALLE

The guerilla group declared a unilateral ceasefire until Jan 20 but the government has accused them of failing to respect it by planting landmines and attacking civilians and soldiers. It has continued its offensive against the rebels.

“The Colombian public forces will continue to tirelessly pursue criminals, as the constitution and all the Colombian people demand,” Defence Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon said on Friday.

The Marxist rebels have said they would not extend their ceasefire unless the government declared one, too. — AFP