Devastating mudslides in the Colombian town of Mocoa killed at least 254 people, 43 of them children, President Juan Manuel Santos said Sunday, in yet another sharp rise in the death toll.

Santos, who traveled to the southern town to personally oversee relief operations, warned the toll could keep climbing.

&quot;Unfortunately, these are still preliminary figures,&quot; he wrote on Twitter.

&quot;We offer our prayers for all of them. We send our condolences and the entire country&#39;s sympathies to their families.&quot;

Survivors described gruesome scenes in the remote southern town, as rescuers kept up a bleak search for victims in the muck and debris.

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<h5>The rebel group FARC has offered to help</h5>
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Covered in mud, 38-year-old Marta Gomez told of going to search for her missing niece -- and making a chilling find instead.

&quot;I went to look for my niece, but I couldn&#39;t find her. I dug and dug and found what turned out to be a baby&#39;s hand. It was horrible,&quot; she said in a shelter set up for the newly homeless.

As she stood in line waiting to register for government assistance for those who lost their houses, she told AFP she had given up on finding her niece.

&quot;The mud took her away. I&#39;ll never see her again,&quot; she said, clinging to the leash of her equally muddy German shepherd.

Rescuers worked in stifling heat under a cloudy sky in the remote Amazon town, the capital of Putumayo department.

The debris left by the mudslides was everywhere: buried cars, uprooted trees, children&#39;s toys and stray shoes sticking up out of the mud.

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Pope&#39;s prayers 
The torrent of mud, boulders and debris struck the town with little warning late Friday after days of heavy rains that caused three area rivers to flood.

It swept away homes, bridges, vehicles and trees, leaving piles of wrecked timber.

Most of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in the town of 40,000 are poor and populated with people uprooted during Colombia&#39;s five-decade-long civil war.

A &quot;profoundly saddened&quot; Pope Francis said he was praying for the victims.

Santos declared an emergency to speed up aid operations.

Health authorities said they had dispatched sanitation specialists in hopes of preventing outbreaks of disease.

An unexpected offer of help also came from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a leftist rebel group engaged in a historic peace process with the government.

It said FARC members were prepared to help rebuild the town.

&#39;People screamed, others cried&#39; 
Marta Ceballos, a 44-year-old street vendor, said she lost everything, but is thankful her family is alive.

&quot;Dear God, I don&#39;t want to even remember that,&quot; she said.

&quot;To see how some people screamed, and others cried, ran, tried to flee in cars, on motorcycles, and how they were trapped in the mud. It&#39;s all too, too difficult,&quot; she told AFP.

&quot;The only things I fortunately did not lose were my husband, my daughters and my nephews,&quot; she said.

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&#39;No preparations&#39; 
Electricity and running water have yet to be restored to Mocoa. Local authorities said repairing the electrical substation would take time.

There were reports of people looting stores searching for bottled water.

&quot;There are lots of people in the streets, lots of people displaced and many houses have collapsed,&quot; retired Mocoa resident Hernando Rodriguez, 69, said by telephone.

&quot;There were no preparations&quot; for such a disaster, he said.

Several deadly landslides have struck Colombia in recent months.

A landslide in November killed nine people in the rural southwestern town of El Tambo, officials said.

The previous month, 10 people lost their lives in a mudslide in the north of the country.

The Pacific rim of South America has been hard hit in recent months by floods and mudslides, with scores killed in Peru and Ecuador.

Climate change can play a big role in the scale of such natural disasters, a senior UN official said.

&quot;Climate change is generating dynamics and we see the tremendous results in terms of intensity, frequency and magnitude of these natural effects, as we have just seen in Mocoa,&quot; said Martin Santiago, UN chief for Colombia.

(Reuters)

President Juan Manuel Santos, who is personally overseeing the relief effort, warned the toll could keep climbing

Devastating mudslides in the Colombian town of Mocoa killed at least 254 people, 43 of them children, President Juan Manuel Santos said Sunday, in yet another sharp rise in the death toll. Santos, who traveled to the southern town to personally oversee relief operations, warned the toll could keep climbing. "Unfortunately, these are still preliminary figures," he wrote on Twitter. "We offer our prayers for all of them. We send our condolences and the entire country's sympathies to their families." Survivors described gruesome scenes in the remote southern town, as rescuers kept up a bleak search for victims in the muck and debris. The rebel group FARC has offered to help × Covered in mud, 38-year-old Marta Gomez told of going to search for her missing niece -- and making a chilling find instead. "I went to look for my niece, but I couldn't find her. I dug and dug and found what turned out to be a baby's hand. It was horrible," she said in a shelter set up for the newly homeless. As she stood in line waiting to register for government assistance for those who lost their houses, she told AFP she had given up on finding her niece. "The mud took her away. I'll never see her again," she said, clinging to the leash of her equally muddy German shepherd. Rescuers worked in stifling heat under a cloudy sky in the remote Amazon town, the capital of Putumayo department. The debris left by the mudslides was everywhere: buried cars, uprooted trees, children's toys and stray shoes sticking up out of the mud. Pope's prayers The torrent of mud, boulders and debris struck the town with little warning late Friday after days of heavy rains that caused three area rivers to flood. It swept away homes, bridges, vehicles and trees, leaving piles of wrecked timber. Most of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in the town of 40,000 are poor and populated with people uprooted during Colombia's five-decade-long civil war. A "profoundly saddened" Pope Francis said he was praying for the victims. Santos declared an emergency to speed up aid operations. Health authorities said they had dispatched sanitation specialists in hopes of preventing outbreaks of disease. An unexpected offer of help also came from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a leftist rebel group engaged in a historic peace process with the government. It said FARC members were prepared to help rebuild the town. 'People screamed, others cried' Marta Ceballos, a 44-year-old street vendor, said she lost everything, but is thankful her family is alive. "Dear God, I don't want to even remember that," she said. "To see how some people screamed, and others cried, ran, tried to flee in cars, on motorcycles, and how they were trapped in the mud. It's all too, too difficult," she told AFP. "The only things I fortunately did not lose were my husband, my daughters and my nephews," she said. 'No preparations' Electricity and running water have yet to be restored to Mocoa. Local authorities said repairing the electrical substation would take time. There were reports of people looting stores searching for bottled water. "There are lots of people in the streets, lots of people displaced and many houses have collapsed," retired Mocoa resident Hernando Rodriguez, 69, said by telephone. "There were no preparations" for such a disaster, he said. Several deadly landslides have struck Colombia in recent months. A landslide in November killed nine people in the rural southwestern town of El Tambo, officials said. The previous month, 10 people lost their lives in a mudslide in the north of the country. The Pacific rim of South America has been hard hit in recent months by floods and mudslides, with scores killed in Peru and Ecuador. Climate change can play a big role in the scale of such natural disasters, a senior UN official said. "Climate change is generating dynamics and we see the tremendous results in terms of intensity, frequency and magnitude of these natural effects, as we have just seen in Mocoa," said Martin Santiago, UN chief for Colombia. (Reuters)

Colombia: 254 dead after mudslides hit town of Mocoa

Colombia&#39;s Marxist National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels began official peace talks with the government on Tuesday in a bid to end their part in a five-decade conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, damaged the economy and left millions displaced.

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Colombia&#39;s Marxist&nbsp;ELN&nbsp;rebels began official peace talks with the government on Tuesday in a bid to end a five-decade conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands, damaged the economy and left millions displaced. (WION)
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The ELN, the&nbsp;nation&#39;s second-biggest rebel group, hopes to clinch an agreement similar to that negotiated last year with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which allows the rebels to form a political party in exchange for laying down their arms.

The 2,000-strong ELN&nbsp;considered a terrorist group by the United States and the&nbsp;European Union, has extorted, bombed oil and electricity infrastructure and kidnapped hundreds of people over its 52 years to raise funds for the war and pressure the government.

Negotiations, hosted by Ecuador, were delayed from November pending the release of a politician the group held hostage for nearly 10 months.

&quot;Fortunately today in Colombia we are trying to develop a political solution to the conflict,&quot; said ELN negotiator Pablo Beltran at the launch of talks outside Quito.

While the talks are independent of those conducted with the FARC, the agenda will cover similar issues, like political participation, disarmament and compensation for victims.

The government&#39;s chief negotiator Juan Camilo Restrepo said the two sides will remain &quot;loyal&quot; to the agenda and negotiate as quickly as possible.

&quot;Peace is for all Colombians; it&#39;s peace for the region and a ray of hope for humanity. New generations, the victims of the conflict and the whole world are waiting for us to be wise and big enough to overcome this futile war,&quot; Restrepo said.

The government and the FARC signed a revised peace accord in late 2016 after four years of tricky negotiations and a failed referendum on the original deal.

President Juan Manuel Santos won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the FARC conflict, but has been criticised for making a deal the opposition says is too lenient on the rebels.

The ELN, founded by radical Catholic priests and inspired by Cuba&#39;s 1959 revolution, has been in on-and-off preliminary talks with the government since 2014.

More than 220,000 people have been killed in Colombia&#39;s conflict.

Peace with the two rebel groups is unlikely to put a complete end to violence in a country also ravaged by drug trafficking, but could allow economic development in once off-limits areas and shift more

(Reuters)

The ELN deal will be similar to that of FARC and cover issues like political participation, disarmament and compensation for victims

Colombia's Marxist National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels began official peace talks with the government on Tuesday in a bid to end their part in a five-decade conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, damaged the economy and left millions displaced. Colombia's Marxist ELN rebels began official peace talks with the government on Tuesday in a bid to end a five-decade conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands, damaged the economy and left millions displaced. (WION) × The ELN, the nation's second-biggest rebel group, hopes to clinch an agreement similar to that negotiated last year with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which allows the rebels to form a political party in exchange for laying down their arms. The 2,000-strong ELN considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, has extorted, bombed oil and electricity infrastructure and kidnapped hundreds of people over its 52 years to raise funds for the war and pressure the government. Negotiations, hosted by Ecuador, were delayed from November pending the release of a politician the group held hostage for nearly 10 months. "Fortunately today in Colombia we are trying to develop a political solution to the conflict," said ELN negotiator Pablo Beltran at the launch of talks outside Quito. While the talks are independent of those conducted with the FARC, the agenda will cover similar issues, like political participation, disarmament and compensation for victims. The government's chief negotiator Juan Camilo Restrepo said the two sides will remain "loyal" to the agenda and negotiate as quickly as possible. "Peace is for all Colombians; it's peace for the region and a ray of hope for humanity. New generations, the victims of the conflict and the whole world are waiting for us to be wise and big enough to overcome this futile war," Restrepo said. The government and the FARC signed a revised peace accord in late 2016 after four years of tricky negotiations and a failed referendum on the original deal. President Juan Manuel Santos won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the FARC conflict, but has been criticised for making a deal the opposition says is too lenient on the rebels. The ELN, founded by radical Catholic priests and inspired by Cuba's 1959 revolution, has been in on-and-off preliminary talks with the government since 2014. More than 220,000 people have been killed in Colombia's conflict. Peace with the two rebel groups is unlikely to put a complete end to violence in a country also ravaged by drug trafficking, but could allow economic development in once off-limits areas and shift more (Reuters)

Colombia begins peace talks with Marxist rebels to end 52-year-old conflict

Colombian officials said on Monday that 17 civil campaigners have been murdered over the past two months in the country, amid tensions over its contested peace process.

President Juan Manuel Santos has warned that fresh violence could destabilise the demobilisation of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels under a historic peace accord.

He signed the deal with FARC&nbsp;and pushed it through the legislature in December, defying criticism from conservative rivals. In the weeks following, reports emerged of killings by local civil campaigners by unidentified groups in conflict areas.

On Monday the Victims&#39; Unit, a state conflict resolution body, said in a statement that &quot;17 civil leaders have been murdered since December 1, after Congress ratified the peace accord&quot;.

The last known victim was Porfirio Jaramillo, leader of a group demanding rural land restitution. He was killed on Saturday in Antioquia department, in the north-west, it said.

Land rights were at the heart of the conflict that pitted the Marxist FARC against Colombian state forces since 1964.

The peace agreement reconciles the two main rival forces in the war, but there are fears of score-settling between renegade players in the multi-sided conflict.

As well as leftist rebels and state forces, the conflict drew in right-wing paramilitaries backed by landowners.

They were supposedly disbanded in the 2000s but the FARC and other groups say former members of them are still active.

The Victims&#39; Unit said Jaramillo was taken away from his home by four armed men. Police found his dead body on Sunday morning.

&quot;We are extremely worried by these events because the truth is they are massacring social leaders,&quot; the unit&#39;s director, Alan Jara, said in a statement.

He called on prosecutors to investigate the killings and urged authorities to provide protection for social group leaders.

(AFP)

The killings have taken place after Santos' Nobel Peace Prize and after the historic peace accord with FARC, which is under threat now

Colombian officials said on Monday that 17 civil campaigners have been murdered over the past two months in the country, amid tensions over its contested peace process. President Juan Manuel Santos has warned that fresh violence could destabilise the demobilisation of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels under a historic peace accord. He signed the deal with FARC and pushed it through the legislature in December, defying criticism from conservative rivals. In the weeks following, reports emerged of killings by local civil campaigners by unidentified groups in conflict areas. On Monday the Victims' Unit, a state conflict resolution body, said in a statement that "17 civil leaders have been murdered since December 1, after Congress ratified the peace accord". The last known victim was Porfirio Jaramillo, leader of a group demanding rural land restitution. He was killed on Saturday in Antioquia department, in the north-west, it said. Land rights were at the heart of the conflict that pitted the Marxist FARC against Colombian state forces since 1964. The peace agreement reconciles the two main rival forces in the war, but there are fears of score-settling between renegade players in the multi-sided conflict. As well as leftist rebels and state forces, the conflict drew in right-wing paramilitaries backed by landowners. They were supposedly disbanded in the 2000s but the FARC and other groups say former members of them are still active. The Victims' Unit said Jaramillo was taken away from his home by four armed men. Police found his dead body on Sunday morning. "We are extremely worried by these events because the truth is they are massacring social leaders," the unit's director, Alan Jara, said in a statement. He called on prosecutors to investigate the killings and urged authorities to provide protection for social group leaders. (AFP)

Colombia: 17 civil leaders 'massacred', officials say

After pushing a revised peace deal with the FARC rebels through Congress, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos got down to a far bigger challenge on Thursday: implementing it.

The lower house&#39;s unanimous vote in favour of the deal set off a countdown to end a conflict that has burned for over half a century and killed more than 260,000 people. &quot;Today we can say the war has officially ended,&quot; Santos said in a speech. &quot;We all have to continue making sacrifices, but I hope we will do so together.&quot;

Interior minister Juan Fernando Cristo told a news conference that Colombia now faces &quot;an enormous challenge&quot; to implement the accord.

Within five days, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, must begin demobilising and surrendering their weapons. Under the deal, the process must be complete within six months. The FARC will relaunch as a political party.

The next step, Cristo said, would be to present Congress with an amnesty for FARC members, the most contested part of the accord.

&nbsp;

Amnesty

Santos, who won this year&#39;s Nobel Peace Prize, said &quot;D-Day begins&quot; on Thursday. The delicate transition to peace will take place amid bitter opposition to the deal, which Santos&#39;s rivals say is too soft on the leftist guerrillas.

Voters rejected an earlier version of the deal in a referendum last month. That sent peace negotiators back to the drawing board after nearly four years of talks.

Rather than risk a second referendum, the government and rebels decided to have the revised deal ratified in Congress. Opponents say the new version includes only token changes.

The deal passed unanimously in both houses of Congress, where Santos has a majority. His top opponent, former president Alvaro Uribe, led a walkout by his right-wing party, the Democratic Center.

&quot;How is the Congress going to approve what the Colombian people rejected?&quot; Oscar Ivan Zuloaga, a former presidential candidate for Uribe&#39;s party, said during the House debate.

Uribe and his allies argue the deal grants impunity to rebels guilty of war crimes, giving them seats in Congress rather than sending them to jail.

The biggest bone of contention is an agreement for non-custodial sentences for FARC members who admit to their crimes. Under the deal, rebel leaders will be able to hold public office while still serving their sentences.

&nbsp;

Fragile ceasefire

Lawmakers must now approve a series of bills to implement the peace accord, beginning with the amnesty for the guerrillas.

&quot;A first set of pardons is currently being prepared,&quot; government peace delegate Sergio Jaramillo told the news conference. &quot;Meanwhile, an amnesty law will be submitted to the legislative process.&quot;

A ceasefire has been in effect since August, shaken by violence in recent weeks. Two guerrillas died in what the authorities described as a clash with the army. A wave of assassinations and attacks has also targeted community leaders in conflict areas.

&nbsp;

Disarmament

The FARC&#39;s 5,700 fighters are to gather in disarmament zones, laying down their weapons under UN supervision.

&quot;If that process goes well and without problems, it could change the political balance of power created by the plebiscite and the opposition&#39;s rejection of the accord,&quot; said Kyle Johnson, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.

But there are still &quot;challenges related not only to the politics but to the implementation on the ground,&quot; he added.

&nbsp;

US pleased&nbsp;

US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the accord in a statement urging its critics &quot;to continue their principled commitment to peace in the coming implementation phase.&quot;

United Nations and the&nbsp;European Union officials also hailed the deal. The conflict has drawn in various guerrilla forces, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs over the years.

The government is still seeking to salvage talks with a smaller rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN). Talks were suspended last month before they started when the rebels failed to release a hostage.

(Agencies)

Nobel Peace Prize winner Santos said 'the war is officially over', but a minister said bringing peace about was 'an enormous challenge'

After pushing a revised peace deal with the FARC rebels through Congress, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos got down to a far bigger challenge on Thursday: implementing it. The lower house's unanimous vote in favour of the deal set off a countdown to end a conflict that has burned for over half a century and killed more than 260,000 people. "Today we can say the war has officially ended," Santos said in a speech. "We all have to continue making sacrifices, but I hope we will do so together." Interior minister Juan Fernando Cristo told a news conference that Colombia now faces "an enormous challenge" to implement the accord. Within five days, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, must begin demobilising and surrendering their weapons. Under the deal, the process must be complete within six months. The FARC will relaunch as a political party. The next step, Cristo said, would be to present Congress with an amnesty for FARC members, the most contested part of the accord. Amnesty Santos, who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize, said "D-Day begins" on Thursday. The delicate transition to peace will take place amid bitter opposition to the deal, which Santos's rivals say is too soft on the leftist guerrillas. Voters rejected an earlier version of the deal in a referendum last month. That sent peace negotiators back to the drawing board after nearly four years of talks. Rather than risk a second referendum, the government and rebels decided to have the revised deal ratified in Congress. Opponents say the new version includes only token changes. The deal passed unanimously in both houses of Congress, where Santos has a majority. His top opponent, former president Alvaro Uribe, led a walkout by his right-wing party, the Democratic Center. "How is the Congress going to approve what the Colombian people rejected?" Oscar Ivan Zuloaga, a former presidential candidate for Uribe's party, said during the House debate. Uribe and his allies argue the deal grants impunity to rebels guilty of war crimes, giving them seats in Congress rather than sending them to jail. The biggest bone of contention is an agreement for non-custodial sentences for FARC members who admit to their crimes. Under the deal, rebel leaders will be able to hold public office while still serving their sentences. Fragile ceasefire Lawmakers must now approve a series of bills to implement the peace accord, beginning with the amnesty for the guerrillas. "A first set of pardons is currently being prepared," government peace delegate Sergio Jaramillo told the news conference. "Meanwhile, an amnesty law will be submitted to the legislative process." A ceasefire has been in effect since August, shaken by violence in recent weeks. Two guerrillas died in what the authorities described as a clash with the army. A wave of assassinations and attacks has also targeted community leaders in conflict areas. Disarmament The FARC's 5,700 fighters are to gather in disarmament zones, laying down their weapons under UN supervision. "If that process goes well and without problems, it could change the political balance of power created by the plebiscite and the opposition's rejection of the accord," said Kyle Johnson, an analyst with the International Crisis Group. But there are still "challenges related not only to the politics but to the implementation on the ground," he added. US pleased US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the accord in a statement urging its critics "to continue their principled commitment to peace in the coming implementation phase." United Nations and the European Union officials also hailed the deal. The conflict has drawn in various guerrilla forces, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs over the years. The government is still seeking to salvage talks with a smaller rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN). Talks were suspended last month before they started when the rebels failed to release a hostage. (Agencies)

Colombia embarks on implementing FARC peace deal

Colombia&#39;s Congress approved a new peace deal with FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia) rebels late on Wednesday, despite objections from former president and now senator Alvaro Uribe, who said it was still too lenient on the insurgents who have battled the government for 52 years.

The agreement was approved in the lower house by 130-0, a day after the Senate ratified it 75-0. Lawmakers from Uribe&#39;s Democratic Center party left the floors of both houses in protest just before voting began.

The ratification - and signing last week - begins a six-month countdown for the 7,000-strong FARC, which started as a rebellion fighting rural poverty, to abandon weapons and form a political party.

President Juan Manuel Santos and rebel leader Rodrigo Londono signed the revised accord last week in a sober ceremony after the first deal was rejected in a national plebiscite.

Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in October for his peace efforts, wants to get the deal implemented as quickly as possible to maintain a fragile ceasefire.

Uribe&#39;s supporters argued the deal offered too many concessions to&nbsp;FARC, and did not serve as a deterrent for other groups involved in crime.

&quot;Let&#39;s not forget what we are doing today, we&#39;re trying to end more than 50 years of war,&quot; government negotiator Sergio Jaramillo said.

The new agreement to end Latin America&#39;s longest insurgency was put together in just over a month after the original pact, which allowed the rebels to hold public office and skip jail, was narrowly and unexpectedly defeated in an October 2 referendum.

While the government says the accord includes most of the proposals put forward by those who rejected it, the new document did not alter those two key provisions. That angered many among Colombia&#39;s largely conservative population, who are also furious that Santos decided to ratify the deal in Congress instead of holding another plebiscite.

The government and FARC worked together in Cuba for four years to negotiate an end to the region&#39;s longest-running conflict that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions in the Andean nation.

An end to the war with FARC is unlikely to end violence in Colombia as the lucrative cocaine business has given rise to criminal gangs and traffickers.

(Reuters)

The agreement was approved in the lower house by 130-0, a day after the Senate ratified it 75-0

Colombia's Congress approved a new peace deal with FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia) rebels late on Wednesday, despite objections from former president and now senator Alvaro Uribe, who said it was still too lenient on the insurgents who have battled the government for 52 years. The agreement was approved in the lower house by 130-0, a day after the Senate ratified it 75-0. Lawmakers from Uribe's Democratic Center party left the floors of both houses in protest just before voting began. The ratification - and signing last week - begins a six-month countdown for the 7,000-strong FARC, which started as a rebellion fighting rural poverty, to abandon weapons and form a political party. President Juan Manuel Santos and rebel leader Rodrigo Londono signed the revised accord last week in a sober ceremony after the first deal was rejected in a national plebiscite. Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in October for his peace efforts, wants to get the deal implemented as quickly as possible to maintain a fragile ceasefire. Uribe's supporters argued the deal offered too many concessions to FARC, and did not serve as a deterrent for other groups involved in crime. "Let's not forget what we are doing today, we're trying to end more than 50 years of war," government negotiator Sergio Jaramillo said. The new agreement to end Latin America's longest insurgency was put together in just over a month after the original pact, which allowed the rebels to hold public office and skip jail, was narrowly and unexpectedly defeated in an October 2 referendum. While the government says the accord includes most of the proposals put forward by those who rejected it, the new document did not alter those two key provisions. That angered many among Colombia's largely conservative population, who are also furious that Santos decided to ratify the deal in Congress instead of holding another plebiscite. The government and FARC worked together in Cuba for four years to negotiate an end to the region's longest-running conflict that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions in the Andean nation. An end to the war with FARC is unlikely to end violence in Colombia as the lucrative cocaine business has given rise to criminal gangs and traffickers. (Reuters)

New Colombia peace deal approved, hopefully ends 52-year war

The Colombian government is set to launch peace talks with the country&#39;s second-largest rebel group, the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN), on October 27, the government announced on Monday.&nbsp;

The negotiations will take place in Ecuador&#39;s capital city of Quito with both sides striving to &quot;create an environment favorable to peace&quot;, a joint statement said.&nbsp;

President Juan Manuel Santos said, &quot;We&#39;ve been seeking negotiations with the ELN for almost three years to end the armed conflict with them as well... Now that we&#39;re moving forward with the ELN, we will have total peace.&quot;&nbsp;

However, the Colombian government said talks will not proceed till all hostages are freed by the ELN.&nbsp;

Announcement of negotiations&nbsp;with ELN comes days after the government&#39;s peace deal with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was rejected by the public in a referendum. They felt the deal allowed the rebels to go scot-free for the atrocities they committed.&nbsp;

Santos was awarded a Nobel peace prize for his efforts to end the 52-year conflict between the FARC rebels and the government.&nbsp;

Red Cross&nbsp;said the ELN released a civilian hostage, identified as Nelson Alarcon, before the announcement. Alarcon, who was abducted three months back, is the third hostage to be released by the rebel group in last 14 days.&nbsp;

Talks with the rebel group began parallel to discussions with FARC.&nbsp;

&quot;Soon there will be no more civilians in the guerrillas&#39; hands. That&#39;s the deal,&quot; a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP.&nbsp;

In the statement released in Venezuela, ELN pledged to &quot;initiate the process to free hostages before October 27&quot;.

The Colombian authorities claim the insurgent group has one more hostage.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The FARC and ELN&nbsp;have been at war with the state since 1964. The ELN is about one-fourth the size of FARC, with some 1,500 fighters.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The National Liberation Army (ELN) has pledged to release all hostages before October 27, the day when the negotiations begin

The Colombian government is set to launch peace talks with the country's second-largest rebel group, the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN), on October 27, the government announced on Monday. The negotiations will take place in Ecuador's capital city of Quito with both sides striving to "create an environment favorable to peace", a joint statement said. President Juan Manuel Santos said, "We've been seeking negotiations with the ELN for almost three years to end the armed conflict with them as well... Now that we're moving forward with the ELN, we will have total peace." However, the Colombian government said talks will not proceed till all hostages are freed by the ELN. Announcement of negotiations with ELN comes days after the government's peace deal with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was rejected by the public in a referendum. They felt the deal allowed the rebels to go scot-free for the atrocities they committed. Santos was awarded a Nobel peace prize for his efforts to end the 52-year conflict between the FARC rebels and the government. Red Cross said the ELN released a civilian hostage, identified as Nelson Alarcon, before the announcement. Alarcon, who was abducted three months back, is the third hostage to be released by the rebel group in last 14 days. Talks with the rebel group began parallel to discussions with FARC. "Soon there will be no more civilians in the guerrillas' hands. That's the deal," a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP. In the statement released in Venezuela, ELN pledged to "initiate the process to free hostages before October 27". The Colombian authorities claim the insurgent group has one more hostage. The FARC and ELN have been at war with the state since 1964. The ELN is about one-fourth the size of FARC, with some 1,500 fighters. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Colombia to launch peace talks with second-largest rebel group

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Colombians on Sunday voted &quot;no&quot; to the peace deal between the government and the FARC insurgent group.&nbsp;

President Juan Manuel Santos, who has led the effort&nbsp;to end the 51-year&nbsp;conflict,&nbsp;said he would&nbsp;continue working for peace despite the vote.&nbsp;

&quot;The majority has said &#39;No,&#39; but &quot;I will not give in, and I will continue to seek peace to the last day of my term,&quot; he said after the vote.&nbsp;

Electoral officials said the &quot;no&#39;&#39; voters won by a half percentage point with 57,000 votes.

Despite the disappointing outcome, FARC says it will continue with peace efforts.&nbsp;

FARC chief Rodrigo Londono said, &quot;The FARC deeply deplores that the destructive power of those who sow hate has influenced opinion.&quot;

The chief also stressed on dialogue and said it was the &quot;only weapon for building the future,&quot; AFP reported.&nbsp;

Before the referendum, polls conducted by Datexco and Ipsos Napoleon Franco had indicated that the &quot;yes&quot; voters would win.&nbsp;

Colombians have not forgiven the atrocities -- kidnappings,&nbsp;threat&nbsp;to life, and an illegal trade --&nbsp;committed by the rebels,&nbsp;said Reuters.&nbsp;

The conflict left 260,000 dead and around seven million displaced.&nbsp;

Jose Gomez, 70, who voted &quot;no&quot; said &quot;It is absurd to reward those criminals, drug traffickers and killers who have made the country a disaster for the past 50 years.&quot;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The 'no' voters won by a half percentage point; President Santos said he would continue to work to end the 51-year?conflict

Colombians on Sunday voted "no" to the peace deal between the government and the FARC insurgent group. President Juan Manuel Santos, who has led the effort to end the 51-year conflict, said he would continue working for peace despite the vote. "The majority has said 'No,' but "I will not give in, and I will continue to seek peace to the last day of my term," he said after the vote. Electoral officials said the "no'' voters won by a half percentage point with 57,000 votes. Despite the disappointing outcome, FARC says it will continue with peace efforts. FARC chief Rodrigo Londono said, "The FARC deeply deplores that the destructive power of those who sow hate has influenced opinion." The chief also stressed on dialogue and said it was the "only weapon for building the future," AFP reported. Before the referendum, polls conducted by Datexco and Ipsos Napoleon Franco had indicated that the "yes" voters would win. Colombians have not forgiven the atrocities -- kidnappings, threat to life, and an illegal trade -- committed by the rebels, said Reuters. The conflict left 260,000 dead and around seven million displaced. Jose Gomez, 70, who voted "no" said "It is absurd to reward those criminals, drug traffickers and killers who have made the country a disaster for the past 50 years." (WION with inputs from agencies)

Colombians stun govt, say no to peace deal with FARC rebels

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived in Havana late Wednesday night ahead of the signing of an agreement between Colombia&#39;s government and leftist FARC rebels. 
 
The two sides are slated to sign an agreement to end hostilities with a definitive ceasefire today. 
 
After more than three years of fraught talks in the Cuban capital, the agreement brings into sight an end to a conflict that began as a 1960s peasant revolt before exploding into a cocaine-fuelled war that has killed at least 220,000 people and displaced millions. 
 
The accord will be signed in Havana by President Juan Manuel Santos and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. 
 
The agreement would leave the two sides just a step away from resolving the longest-running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. 
 
&quot;I congratulate (Colombian) President (Juan Manuel) Santos and the Colombian government. I congratulate the Revolutionary Armed Forces (of Colombia), the FARC and their commander, Timoleon for this historic advancement, this gigantic step. Peace in Colombia is our peace,&quot; Maduro said, referring to Londono by another of his aliases. 
 
Ban and Maduro were expected to attend the signing ceremony along with Cuban President Raul Castro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. 
 
The ceremony is expected to be held at 12:00 EDT (1600 GMT) 
 
(Reuters)

The agreement ends what started as a 1960s peasant revolt but ended up killing 220,000 and displacing millions

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived in Havana late Wednesday night ahead of the signing of an agreement between Colombia's government and leftist FARC rebels. The two sides are slated to sign an agreement to end hostilities with a definitive ceasefire today. After more than three years of fraught talks in the Cuban capital, the agreement brings into sight an end to a conflict that began as a 1960s peasant revolt before exploding into a cocaine-fuelled war that has killed at least 220,000 people and displaced millions. The accord will be signed in Havana by President Juan Manuel Santos and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. The agreement would leave the two sides just a step away from resolving the longest-running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. "I congratulate (Colombian) President (Juan Manuel) Santos and the Colombian government. I congratulate the Revolutionary Armed Forces (of Colombia), the FARC and their commander, Timoleon for this historic advancement, this gigantic step. Peace in Colombia is our peace," Maduro said, referring to Londono by another of his aliases. Ban and Maduro were expected to attend the signing ceremony along with Cuban President Raul Castro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. The ceremony is expected to be held at 12:00 EDT (1600 GMT) (Reuters)

Ban Ki-moon and Venezuela's Maduro arrive for Colombia-FARC agreement