World - South America
Updated: January 03, 2023

ELN Rebels Reject Ceasefire Agreement With Colombian Government

By Quadri Adejumo
January 03, 2023
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The National Liberation Army (ELN) guerillas have rejected the Colombian president's claims that they signed a ceasefire agreement with the government.

In a statement, the ELN said; "The ELN Dialogue Delegation has not discussed any bilateral ceasefire with the Gustavo Petro government. Therefore no such agreement exists.”

President Gustavo Petro had announced at the weekend a six-month cease-fire with the five largest armed groups in the country.

"We have agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with the ELN, the Second Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC, and the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2023", he said.

Since taking office on August 7 last year, Petro has been seeking a policy of "total peace" to end a 50-year armed conflict between the state and various groups of left-wing guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries, all of whom are involved in drug trafficking.