Colombia’s ELN rebels must halt attacks, restart talks- United Nations

"I urge the end of armed actions and the re-start of a serious and constructive dialogue with a view to fulfilling as soon as possible the commitment of the sides to reach a solution to the conflict by political means," said Guterres.

By: Reuters | Bogota | Updated: January 15, 2018 11:30 am

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks as he visits the reinsertion centres of former FARC rebels in Buenavista, Colombia January 14, 2018. REUTERS

Colombia’s ELN rebel group must cease attacks and re-start peace talks with the government to end more than a half-century of war, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday, amid renewed violence after the end of a ceasefire between the two sides.

The National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group and the government of President Juan Manuel Santos have been in formal peace talks for nearly a year, but the rebels launched a fresh offensive last week, killing members of the security forces, bombing major oil pipelines and kidnapping an oil contractor after the expiration of a 101-day ceasefire, reports news agency Reuters.