Colombian ELN leader urges government to start peace talks
BOGOTA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's second largest rebel group
National Liberation Army (ELN) on Friday urged the government to begin
peace negotiations with the group.
"Unconditional dialogue between the two sides is imperative to ease the impact of the war on the communities and society, as we strive for the dignified and lasting peace we all deserve," ELN rebel leader Nicolas Rodriguez Bautista, alias "Gabino" said.
The ELN's call for talks came as the group commemorates 49 years of armed resistance.
"Our struggle is for peace, we reassert, but we are determined to continue fighting and resisting alongside the people who continually give us their determined support," Gabino added.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday via Twitter that his government would not have dialogue with the ELN until all captives are released and the kidnappings do not recur.
The ELN freed on Thursday Carlos Fabian Huertas, a soldier they captured on May 22 in an attack that left 11 military troops dead in the northeast province of Norte de Santander.
Santos acknowledged the rebels' goodwill gesture, saying via Twitter "We appreciate the liberation of corporal Carlos Fabian Huertas as a gesture of the ELN in the right direction."
The Colombian government has been holding peace talks with the country's largest rebel group FARC since November in Havana, Cuba.
Five decades of fighting in Colombia has left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.
"Unconditional dialogue between the two sides is imperative to ease the impact of the war on the communities and society, as we strive for the dignified and lasting peace we all deserve," ELN rebel leader Nicolas Rodriguez Bautista, alias "Gabino" said.
The ELN's call for talks came as the group commemorates 49 years of armed resistance.
"Our struggle is for peace, we reassert, but we are determined to continue fighting and resisting alongside the people who continually give us their determined support," Gabino added.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday via Twitter that his government would not have dialogue with the ELN until all captives are released and the kidnappings do not recur.
The ELN freed on Thursday Carlos Fabian Huertas, a soldier they captured on May 22 in an attack that left 11 military troops dead in the northeast province of Norte de Santander.
Santos acknowledged the rebels' goodwill gesture, saying via Twitter "We appreciate the liberation of corporal Carlos Fabian Huertas as a gesture of the ELN in the right direction."
The Colombian government has been holding peace talks with the country's largest rebel group FARC since November in Havana, Cuba.
Five decades of fighting in Colombia has left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.
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