海角大神

After two years of informal negotiations the National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia鈥檚 second largest rebel group, has agreed to hold peace talks with the Colombian government, a step which will bring the country closer to resolving decades of conflict.

The formal talks will take place at the Ecuadorean capital, Quito, but other sessions may be held in Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, and Cuba. The start date hasn鈥檛 been set yet.

鈥淭he objective is to put an end to the armed conflict, eradicate political violence, center on the treatment of victims and advance toward a national reconciliation with active societal participation and a stable, enduring peace,鈥� said Colombian government chief peace delegate Frank Pearl, the City Paper reported.

The announcement comes a few days after the March 23 deadline established to push the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the nation's largest rebel group, to reach an accord. The peace negotiations between the two are still ongoing, despite a warning from Colombia鈥檚 president that the government wouldn鈥檛 continue to negotiate past the deadline. 聽

鈥淭his is a very important announcement, because it means that ELN is willing to discuss what has been agreed on between the government and FARC,鈥� said Marc Chernick, professor of the practice of conflict resolution and human rights, and director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University, in an interview with 海角大神.

"It will be the end of guerrilla groups and we can all concentrate 鈥� democratically 鈥� on making our country the free, normal, modern, just, and inclusive place it can and should be," said President Juan Manuel Santos, following the announcement about the agreement, Reuters reported.

The two sides have agreed on a six-point agenda, a framework based on the ongoing peace talks with FARC, including questions of political inclusion as well as discussing how rebels can be disarmed, the BBC reported.

ELN鈥檚 agreement represents a big step towards ending the five-decade-old conflict, and a shift from the group's reluctance to cooperate, Dr. Chernick tells the Monitor. The group 鈥� which likes to ideologically distinguish itself from FARC 鈥� is particularly strong in rural areas, and is known for attacking multinational companies and oil pipelines, according to the BBC. Colombian security forces estimate that the group has up to 2,000 active fighters, including minors.

Yet skepticism runs rampant, with some analysts contending that ELN鈥檚 ideology 鈥� the group defines itself as a resistance group, and may demand more political participation 鈥� could slow the peace process, the Guardian reported.

鈥淭his will not be an easy negotiation,鈥� Luis Eduardo Celis, a conflict analyst and expert on the ELN, told the Guardian. 鈥淭he FARC came to the table with the decision to end their war, the ELN does not seem to have the same firm commitment.鈥�

Others contend that Colombia has a history of failed peace agreements, a factor聽Caitlyn Davis and Harold Trinkunas, writing for the Brookings Institute, point to.

They also note that the 1957 agreement excluded some parties, leading to the insurgence of other rebel groups.

That鈥檚 particularly why the ELN鈥檚 agreement is significant, Chernick tells the Monitor.聽鈥淚t means that the ELN be will brought to the table and given a voice.鈥� A Colombian government deal with FARC alone will mean partial peace, which isn鈥檛 what the government or Colombian people want, he adds.