Coronavirus: ELN guerrillas announce month-long ceasefire in Colombia

Text by: RFI Follow

This cessation of fighting, decided unilaterally, should last the whole of April. According to the armed group, this is a "humanitarian gesture" in the face of the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.

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Considered the last guerrilla war in Colombia, the ELN announced a unilateral month-long ceasefire on Monday, a " humanitarian gesture " motivated by the coronavirus pandemic , according to a press release released by senators in favor of a process. of peace with this armed group.

" The National Liberation Army [...] declared an active unilateral cease-fire, from April 1 to April 30, as a humanitarian gesture towards the Colombian people, who are suffering from the tragedy of the coronavirus " , writes the ELN in this text.

The guerrillas there evoke the appeal of the UN to a cease-fire of all the conflicts in the world, as well as the request " in the same direction " emitted by " social and political organizations of Colombia ".

In the press release, published by, among others, the left senator Ivan Cepeda, it indicates however that it reserves the " right " to defend itself from the " attacks " of the police, like gangs of drug traffickers to which it disputes control of several regions of the country.

" We call on the government [...] to order the cantonment of its troops, " added the ELN, urging President Ivan Duque to reactivate contacts with the guerrilla delegation in Cuba, with a view to consultations for a " Bilateral and temporary ceasefire ".

Three hostages released

Thursday, the day after Colombia's total confinement due to Covid-19, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced the release by the guerrillas of three hostages of Colombian nationality, kidnapped a month ago.

The ICRC then published a photo on Twitter showing these three men, protected by masks, when they were released in a rural area in the Cauca department (south-west).

🔴 # ATENCIÓN | In the mañana de hoy facilitamos the liberation of very civil in rural zone of Cauca that desde hace un mes estaban en poder del Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN).

Comunicado: https://t.co/pha8z5OzwQ pic.twitter.com/5upLP7Y6yT

Colombia counted Sunday evening at least 702 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus since March 6, including ten dead.

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