Colombia’s Petro suspends talks with ELN rebels

Move comes successful effect to ELN attacks successful country’s northeast, which President Gustavo Petro describes arsenic warfare crimes.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced the suspension of bid talks with National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, accusing the group of committing warfare crimes successful the Catatumbo portion connected Colombia’s borderline with Venezuela.

“The dialog process with this radical is suspended; the ELN has nary volition for peace,” Petro said successful a societal media station connected Friday.

On Thursday, ELN fighters killed astatine slightest 5 members of the demobilised Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, the Reuters quality bureau reported.

The ELN besides launched attacks against a FARC dissident faction known arsenic the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), which is engaged successful abstracted bid talks with the government.

Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the typical of United Nations main Antonio Guterres successful Colombia, condemned the attacks and called for civilians to beryllium protected.

“I telephone connected equipped groups to cease convulsive actions,” Massieu said successful a station connected X connected Thursday. “The existent volition for dialog requires respecting the lives of those who person opted for peace.”

Last year, Petro’s authorities reached a six-month truce and started a bid process with the ELN, which had been acceptable to expire successful February.

But clashes person repeatedly derailed the talks, which were suspended successful September aft a deadly ELN onslaught targeting authorities forces. Negotiations resumed aboriginal successful 2024.

Colombia has endured a decades-long warfare with left-wing rebel groups, immoderate connected to the cause trade.

The state reached a landmark statement successful 2016 that ended warring with the FARC and saw members of the radical enactment down their weapons. But violence with the ELN and FARC splinter factions that did not recognise the 2016 pact has continued.

When the left-wing Petro took bureau successful 2022, he promised “total peace” successful the state and tried to propulsion for ceasefires with equipped groups.

“We volition enactment tirelessly to bring bid and tranquility to each country of Colombia. This is the authorities of life, of peace, and that is however it volition beryllium remembered,” Petro said successful his inauguration speech.

While his strategy has reduced the violence, rebel infighting and clashes with the Colombian service person persisted.

“Armed groups proceed to perpetrate superior abuses against civilians and grow their beingness crossed the country,” Human Rights Watch said successful a caller report.

“Security forces and judicial authorities person often failed to efficaciously support the population, guarantee victims’ entree to justice, and meaningfully analyse and dismantle transgression groups.”

This week, Guterres reiterated his telephone for an extremity to the fighting.

“I telephone connected the parties to found a caller ceasefire arsenic soon arsenic possible, with a robust monitoring and verification mechanics and a scope wide capable to heighten the information of communities affected by the conflict,” the UN secretary-general said successful a statement.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies