Colombia to restart peace talks with insurgents ELN rebels want recognition of their authority by the government ELN insurgents’ spokesman, known as the Angel of Death, looks on as he attends peace talks with the government in the Colombian town of Caucasia, Colombia, July 23. The government agreed on Wednesday to restart negotiations with the rebels, the country’s deadliest guerrilla group, but there was no word of when the talks would begin. AP Photo/Leah Millis
Colombia to restart peace talks with insurgents ELN rebels want recognition of their authority by the government
ELN insurgents want recognition of their authority by the government
By Sarah Boseley
Colombia to restart peace talks with insurgents
ELN insurgents want recognition of their authority by the government
By Sarah Boseley
SANTIAGO, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Two years ago, the military was not willing to negotiate with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (AFA) guerrillas in Colombia, prompting the government of President Juan Manuel Santos to embark on its own talks with the insurgents.
Today, after a series of secret negotiations, the two sides have agreed to resume dialogue, but the government remains staunchly opposed to recognizing the AFA as a legitimate force.
The AFA and the government have been locked in negotiations since May of this year, with some of the most heated debates taking place on Twitter.
The AFA, also known as the ELN, has been responsible for numerous massacres in Colombia and is responsible for the deaths of at least 28 people during peace negotiations.
A series of secret negotiations
On June 8, the AFA’s leader, the Angel of Death, vowed to fight until “the last breath” in order to continue fighting Colombian government.
He said the rebels would refuse to talk to the government, if they had to do so at gunpoint.
The government’s top negotiator, Colombian army Col. Carlos Hernandez, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the talks would continue, but as a private, non-military channel, where there would be “no violence.”
The talks have been carried out in what has been described as a “secret environment,” where there has been no access to the media, and where negotiations were carried out without the presence of the public, including women and children.