Farc rebels says ELN must join Colombia peace process

[frigidmagi]

bbc

The Farc rebel movement in Colombia has urged the government to include a smaller guerrilla group, the ELN, in peace talks aimed at ending more than half a century of conflict.

The Farc leader, known as Timochenko, said he considered the matter urgent.

On Monday, President Juan Manuel Santos said he had facilitated a meeting between the leaders of the Farc and the ELN.
The UN in Bogota welcomed the move.

But critics of President Santos' peace process say that by trying to include the ELN, Farc is using delaying tactics and that the group is reluctant to give up military conflict.

The peace talks have been going on for two years in Havana, Cuba.

Timochenko's comments were published on the Farc website. He said, " We believe that not only for us as a revolutionary movement is it urgent and necessary that the ELN is brought into the peace talks. It is also urgent for the government and for the Colombian people. It is the right and practical thing to do."

The government has been negotiating with the ELN in secret for more than a year.

Its leader - known as Gabino - has said that little remains to discuss before his movement agrees to enter formal peace talks.

"We have around 80% agreement (on the agenda), and we only have 20% which still has to be placed publically on the table," he told the Reuters news agency in a video message.

For both the ELN and Farc a key stumbling point is whether seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict would mean that their members would be offered amnesties or face prison sentences for war crimes.

"It is absurd to think we need to pay with prison sentences for looking for a political solution to the conflict," Gabino told Reuters.

The ELN was set up in 1964 and was inspired by the Cuban revolution. It launches attacks on the Colombian armed forces from its jungle bases.

It is estimated to number around 2,000 fighters.

The latest round of peace talks in Havana ended on 8 May with a call from the Farc to dismantle paramilitary groups and without an agreement over reparations for the victims of the conflict, an issue that has been debated for months.

[LadyTevar]

Talks are good, yes?

[Josh]

Depends on if they're actually talking or just using talks to regroup and reload, while scoring PR points.

[General Havoc]

Depends on if they're actually talking or just using talks to regroup and reload, while scoring PR points.

Normally, I'd agree that's true, but FARC's been utterly savaged in recent years, and the government is showing no signs of letting them up. I think they actually are talking because there's nothing else to do.

[frigidmagi]

FARC and ELN have reached the point where victory is utterly impossible. From what I can tell they're really just trying to make sure they all stay out of jail. Which galls me honestly, as a lot of them deserve to be in jail for the kidnapping, slavery, murder and rape they've visited upon their fellows not to mention the drug trade they've been a part of.

But to insist on them getting their just deserts would prolong the war for at least another decade. I'm not sure it's worth that.

[LadyTevar]

It's been so long, I've forgotten what they're fighting for, and I'll bet the newest recruits have no clue either. I mean, hell, FARC's been around since what... the 80s? 70s?