Colombian ELN rebels lift suspension over kidnapping

BOGOTA – Colombia’s leftist rebel group National Liberation Army (ELN) said Monday it would lift its suspension over kidnapping because the government had failed to honor agreements reached in peace talks.

The rebel group, which is negotiating with the Colombian government, said its decision was due to a delay in establishing a multi-donor fund for a peace process that would remove the ELN from the country’s six-decade armed conflict.

The lifting of the suspension poses a further challenge to peace talks between the ELN and the government of leftist President Gustavo Petro.

Although six rounds of talks have taken place since the end of 2022, a crisis in the negotiations emerged after the government held advanced meetings with one of the rebel group’s fronts in the country’s Narino province, during which members of the faction surrendered weapons and rejoined the integrated society.

The crisis led the group to decide in April to freeze talks scheduled for that month.

“So far, the fund has not been established, the government shows little will to move forward in this area,” the ELN said in a statement.

“In view of the above, the ELN terminates its offer to unilaterally suspend economic detention,” it said.

The fund was not agreed upon as an incentive for the ELN to end the kidnappings, the Colombian government said in a statement, adding that delays had been caused by the rebel group’s decision to convene an extraordinary round of talks.

“We hope that the ELN remains true to its commitment to Colombian society and the international community to put an end to all forms of kidnapping,” the government peace delegation said in the statement. REUTERS