Colombia's other rebel force proposes ceasefire

Colombian leftist rebels of the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, ELN) proposed a bilateral ceasefire with the government on 30 October as a first step toward possible peace, and echoing the peace conversations begun between the state and the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The ELN recalled this was not the first time it had sought a ceasefire or peace conversations with the state, Europa Press reported, citing Colombia's Caracol Radio. The state has refused a ceasefire while talking to the FARC. The communiqué was read out at a seminar on protecting civilians in Colombia's conflicts, organized by the NGO Geneva Call and backed by the UN. It expressed hope for an eventual peace allowing "truth to flourish" in Colombia and the "pains" of Colombians to be "treated with dignity," but also urged an eventual "cleansing" or purging of local and regional authorities imposed by unspecified "narcotic and paramilitary pressures and corruption." The guerrilla stated that dialogue engaged within a ceasefire would create greater trust and "relieve" the suffering of civilians in conflict zones, EFE reported. The ELN was formed in 1964 and is run by a five-member Central Command including its supreme leader, currently Nicolás Rodríguez Bautista or Gabino.