Colombia, ELN rebels reach ceasefire agreement

By Sinan Dogan

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) — The fifth round of peace negotiations has come to an end between the Colombian government and the armed rebel group National Liberation Army (ELN), which began on Dec. 4 in Mexico, has come to an end.

It was reported that the government delegation and ELN representatives, who met in the capital Mexico City, reached an agreement on the "cessation of kidnappings and ransom activities."

Vera Grabe, the Head of the Colombian Government Delegation and former member of the M-19 (April 19 Movement), said in a press release that they have taken a "significant" step towards achieving national peace in the country.

Referring to the ongoing cease-fire between the government and ELN, Grabe mentioned that negotiations are ongoing for its extension, and ELN has pledged to provide information about the hostages it holds.

Pablo Beltran, the chief negotiator for the ELN, also known as Israel Ramirez, expressed that the cease-fire could be extended until the end of Feb., saying, "A cease-fire seems possible, but the biggest problem during this process is the killing of over a dozen people within the ranks of the ELN."

Blaming paramilitary groups for the attacks, Beltran evaluated, "One of the biggest achievements of the meeting is giving life to the monitoring mechanism."

The talks between the parties came to a standstill after the parents of Colombian national footballer Luis Diaz were kidnapped by ELN members on November 2.

- Return to negotiation table after 3 years

The parties, who came together in the capital Caracas, Venezuela, under the guarantorship and hosting of Venezuela, resumed peace talks that were suspended in 2019 on Nov. 22, 2022.

In the first round of talks attended by observers from Norway and Venezuela, a cease-fire was not reached on Dec. 13, 2022, but a decision was made to improve the conditions for humanitarian aid and imprisoned ELN members in certain areas.

The second round of peace talks, which began on Feb. 14 in Mexico, was concluded with the recognition of the "political status of the ELN."

The third round of peace negotiations, which started in Havana, the capital of Cuba, on May 2, ended with the signing of a "6-month temporary ceasefire agreement" and the agreement officially started on Aug. 3.

The parties, meeting in the capital Caracas on Aug. 15 for the fourth round, reached an agreement on the "opening of a humanitarian corridor in the areas most affected by conflicts."

Gustavo Petro, a left-wing leader who won the presidential election in Colombia and took office on Aug. 7, 2022, had promised to implement the 2016 Peace Agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and engage in peace talks with ELN upon assuming power.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul