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Colombian govt restarts talks
with 2nd largest rebel group
The Colombian government and the
National Liberation Army (ELN),
the country's second largest
rebel group, restarted
closed-door talks in Havana on
Tuesday.
The Colombian delegation was led
by Luis Carlos Restrepo, the
government's high commissioner
for peace, and Julio Londono,
Colombia's ambassador to Cuba.
The leader of the ELN delegation
was its military leader Antonio
Garcia and his spokesman,
Francisco Galan.
Galan said the negotiations,
which may lead to formal peace
talks, would last till Saturday.
Unlike the previous talks held
in December and February,
observers from Norway,
Switzerland and Spain -- the
so-called group of friendly
nations -- would be absent.
Colombia has suffered more than
four decades of civil conflict.
The 5,000-strong ELN announced a
truce last month ahead of this
year's general elections.
Another far-right paramilitary
group, Self Defence Forces of
Colombia (AUC), has demobilized
recently.
However, the Caracol radio
station reported that new
illegal armed groups calling
themselves the Independent Self
Defence Forces were springing up
following the demobilization of
the AUC.
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