Kolumbien

At least nine Colombian soldiers have been killed in an attack on an army base in Norte de Santander province. The government says rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN) launched homemade mortar shells at the base in the municipality of El Carmen. The attack comes as the government and the ELN are engaged in peace talks as part of President Gustavo Petro's plan to bring "total peace" to Colombia.

[…] The ICRC’s annual report on Colombia said that the humanitarian situation in the country deteriorated for the fifth consecutive year in 2022.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a ceasefire with the country's main drug trafficking cartel, the Gulf Clan. … The ceasefire had been agreed in December as part of the president's plan for "total peace" in Colombia. Its suspension is a major blow to Mr Petro's attempt to end armed conflict.

Colombia’s government and the country’s last recognized guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), said Friday they had agreed to begin negotiating a ceasefire, as the two sides wrapped up a second round of peace talks in Mexico.

The new Colombian government has resolved to curb violence throughout rural areas where guerrillas and criminals hold sway. Its approach – dialogue and security reform – is admirable but risky. Any deal it strikes should seek to halt all the types of coercion the illicit groups employ.

Colombia’s government and its largest remaining rebel group met in Mexico City on Monday to resume peace talks aimed at resolving a conflict dating back to the 1960s.

[…] In a joint statement, the negotiators agreed to negotiate a bilateral ceasefire once formal talks resume in Mexico on February 13.

Colombia’s government and the ELN agreed to an “extraordinary meeting” after the guerrilla group rejected a ceasefire that was announced by President Gustavo Petro.

In 2022, the armed conflict in Colombia worsened and led to increased levels of violence that affected at least 12 departments, most notably in the Pacific region and along the borders with Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

[…] “The Council’s decision today to authorize the expansion of the Mission’s mandate to include the Agreement’s comprehensive rural reform and the ethnic chapter in its verification tasks will enable the Mission to increase its contribution to peace in Colombia,” said Mr. Massieu [the head of the UN Verification Mission], speaking after its unanimous adoption of a Resolution 2673.