Colombia wants to resume peace talks with ELN

vienna - The Colombian government wants to resume the peace talk with the left guerrilla movement ELN, the National Liberation Army, as soon as possible. 'We are currently discussing a new armistice,' President Juan Manuel Santos said in Vienna. He hopes to quickly reach an agreement on a cease-fire and then sit down at the negotiating table to 'make a total peace with the ELN'.

The Colombian authorities suspended the peace talk two weeks ago after the rebels had committed a bomb attack on an oil pipeline. Then they attacked installations of the oil industry more often, but also units of the government army.

Since the end of 2016 peace was concluded with the much larger FARC, the ELN in the South American country with only 2,000 fighters is the only active guerrilla group. This also fights a drug war with organized crime.