Via the BBC: Colombia backs ELN ceasefire plan
Colombia’s government has agreed to a temporary ceasefire proposed by the country’s second-largest rebel group, its senior peace negotiator has said.Peace commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo said any accord with the National Liberation Army (ELN) would not begin until rebels ended their campaign.
No specific details of the “temporary and experimental” ceasefire have been agreed yet, Mr Restrepo said.
[…]
The ELN proposed the ceasefire agreement on Monday, saying it was ready to begin temporary disarmament in an effort to create a viable atmosphere for peace.
Now the government of President Alvaro Uribe appears to have agreed to the proposal, under strict conditions.
“We accept the proposal that the ceasefire be experimental and temporary,” Mr Restrepo said.
Hopefully these talks will actually lead to demobilization.
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It worked in the 1970s, but not in the 1990s or 200s. With the government actually pushing the ELN to the wall, maybe it’ll work again? I hope so.
Comment by Honza P — Friday, April 20, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
If you mean peace talks in Colombia–there were none in the 70s, let alone peaceful ones. There were some successful demobilizations in the late 1980s and 1990s. There might have been some success with the FARC in the 1980s if right-wing paramilitaries hadn’t killed off their attempt at a political party (the UP).
There has been some demobilization of paramilitary groups in the 2000s, although the jury is out on the long-term success thereof.
As such, I am not sure what you are referring to…?
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Saturday, April 21, 2007 @ 6:38 pm