- Title: COLOMBIA-REBELS/PEACE TALKS Colombia and FARC rebels agree to renew peace talks.
- Date: 3rd December 2014
- Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (DECEMBER 03, 2014) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** NEGOTIATORS ARRIVE AT NEGOTIATING TABLE FOR COLOMBIA PEACE TALKS GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JOSE LUIS PONCE, CUBAN OFFICIAL AND GUARANTOR, SAYING: "The national government and FARC delegations, after jointly carrying out the events of the past weeks, consider tha
- Embargoed: 18th December 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Cuba
- Country: Cuba
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA4BZ9E939ICBIBHIQQ3EL3AI7R
- Story Text: The Colombian government and leftist rebels will renew suspended peace talks this month, reviving efforts to end Latin America's longest running war, officials said on Wednesday.
"The national government and FARC delegations, after jointly carrying out the events of the past weeks, consider that we have overcome the crisis and announce that we have agreed that the next cycle of conversations will take place between December 10 and 17, with the purpose of advancing the matter of de-escalation of the conflict , to reach an agreement as soon as possible in this matter," a Cuban government official said, reading a joint statement made by the two sides plus Cuba and Norway as guarantor nations assisting the peace talks.
Colombia had suspended the two-year-old peace talks taking place in Cuba while the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had captured an army general, 55 year-old general Ruben Dario Alzate.
Alzate was taken hostage two weeks ago along with a corporal and a civilian lawyer in northwest Choco province on Colombia's Pacific coast. The FARC declared Alzate a prisoner of war.
Santos insisted there would be no more negotiations until those three, along with two soldiers who were previously seized in a separate incident, were freed.
The rebels released two soldiers a week ago and the other three captives on Sunday. Alzate resigned from his post on Monday, saying he should have taken more security precautions.
A Norwegian official said both sides are looking to avoid such setbacks in the future.
"(The delegates agreed) to establish a permanent mechanism through the guarantor nations to facilitate the solution of possible crisis that could come up in the future."
The war has killed some 200,000 people since 1964. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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