Ecuador To Stop Hosting Peace Talks Between Colombia and ELN

The government of Ecuador announced on Wednesday that it will not be hosting peace talks between Colombia and the ELN rebel group. The announcement was made by Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno.

The ELN and Colombian government have had peace talks for more than a year but have not come to an agreement. In January, the Colombian government decided to suspend the talks with the rebel group. The suspension came after a series of attacks that left several police officers dead and many other people injured.

The ELN and Colombian government agreed to a ceasefire in October. The ceasefire ended in January and the government recalled its chief negotiator after attacks on oil pipelines and authorities. The government suspended talks later that month but resumed them on March 15.

Moreno told NTN24 in an interview that he had asked the foreign minister to put the brakes on the talks and do the same for their role as a mediator of the peace process while the rebel group does not commit to stopping terrorist actions.

The peace talks were resumed just weeks ago but the two sides will likely have to look for a new host after the announcement. The president of Ecuador did not specify the actions that led to his country ending its role as the host but the rebel group has been accused of attacks after the ceasefire and before the talks were scheduled to take place.

The Colombian government and FARC signed a peace deal in late 2016. The government has been trying to do the same with the ELN but no agreement has been made yet. Reuters reports that Chile, Venezuela and Norway are among the possible locations where the talks could take place. Colombia’s Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin said that President Santos understands their decision to move away. She added that Colombia’s government will begin the procedures to move the talks to one of the countries that was established as an alternative location.

Last week, two journalists from Ecuador and their driver were killed by a group of former members of FARC. The members of that group decided not to take part in the peace deal of 2016. Days later, Ecuador’s government confirmed that a couple had been kidnapped. Reports say the two were kidnapped in the border area between Ecuador and Colombia.

 

 

The post Ecuador To Stop Hosting Peace Talks Between Colombia and ELN appeared first on Gazette Review.