Colombia decree suspends ceasefire with EMC armed group in three areas By Reuters

By Luis Jaime Acosta

BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombia will droop its months-long ceasefire with the Estado Mayor Central (ECM) armed group in three provinces on Wednesday, a authorities decree mentioned on Sunday, citing incidents of violence that broke the ceasefire.

The EMC (NYSE:) – based by former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels who reject the 2016 peace deal signed by that group – started talks with President Gustavo Petro’s authorities final yr, in a bid to finish its half in Colombia’s 60 years of conflict.

The announcement of the top of the ceasefire didn’t point out any impact on the general negotiations.

The EMC and different insurgent and armed teams usually battle one another for management of illicit earnings streams like drug trafficking and unlawful mining. Violence in lots of elements of Colombia has continued regardless of ongoing bilateral authorities ceasefires, similar to that with the EMC.

The ceasefire with the EMC went into place final October with a January deadline, earlier than being prolonged by means of July 15.

The decree, signed by the protection minister, referred to as for “re-starting of army operations” as of March 20 within the provinces of Nariño, Cauca and Valle del Cauca, the place it mentioned the EMC had damaged the phrases of the ceasefire.

EMC members had attacked civilians, native officers and state safety forces, the decree mentioned, “exhibiting little willingness for peace” and prompting the necessity for state forces to intervene.Petro has promised to finish Colombia’s six-decade battle by means of negotiations or give up offers with armed teams.

Nonetheless, a significant chief of the EMC mentioned in a latest interview with Reuters that he thought it could be tough to achieve a peace deal earlier than the top of Petro’s time period in 2026 and that it could want the assist of wider Colombian civil society to achieve success.