IPS-English COLOMBIA: Talks with ELN Halfway to Framework Accord
 
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:30:21 -0700


COLOMBIA: Talks with ELN Halfway to Framework Accord Patricia 
Grogg

HAVANA , Aug 24  (IPS)  - This week's round of exploratory talks 
between the Colombian government and the insurgent National 
Liberation Army (ELN) in the Cuban capital came to an end Friday 
halfway to a framework accord for starting formal peace talks. 
One of the main hurdles to an agreement is the question of 
verification of the eventual ceasefire.

”They (government officials) believe we are finished off, but 
nothing could be farther from the truth,” said an ELN source 
close to the talks, who confirmed to IPS that the rebel group 
rejects the Álvaro Uribe government's demand that the guerrillas 
gather in a delimited area in order to ensure a ceasefire. 

The source said that concentrating the members of the ELN in one 
area would amount to ”suicide.”

Senator Gloria Ramírez, who represents the Colombian legislature 
on the National Peace Council (CNP), said Wednesday that the 
advisory body presented ”a few alternative formulas” to avoid 
intransigence on either side and  keep the process moving towards 
a framework accord or ”acuerdo base”.

”When you're talking about verification, there are two 
components: the delimited area and identification of combatants,” 
said Ramírez. ”With regard to the latter, there has been some 
progress, because it is no longer seen as necessary for the ELN 
to identify each and every combatant. On the other hand, options 
are being sought for the delimited area to be larger.”

The senator mentioned that the initiatives include the design of 
a road map for the release of hostages held by the ELN, which 
would be a relief ”for the humanitarian tragedy that the country 
is experiencing.”

”Both the government and the ELN have been particularly 
receptive” to that idea, she said.

The proposals set forth by the CNP, which was recently revived on 
the ELN's initiative, were placed on the agenda of the talks held 
Monday through Friday by the government's Peace Commissioner 
Alvaro Restrepo, and Pablo Beltrán, the head of the ELN 
negotiators.

”After this latest round of talks, there will be another recess,” 
said the guerrilla source, who did not elaborate on when the next 
round would take place. 

”We have the sensation that there has been a reaffirmation of the 
political will for this process to continue forward,” said 
Ramírez, one of the 15 members of the CNP who travelled to Havana 
to meet Wednesday with the government and guerrilla delegations.

A similar conclusion was reached by Darío Mejía, a member of the 
government negotiating commission. ”Never before had so much 
progress been made in talks with the ELN,” he said, after noting 
that no one ”has left” the negotiating table since the 
preliminary talks between the Uribe administration and the ELN, 
Colombia's second-largest insurgent group, began in December 
2005.

In his view, the participation of the CNP is important, as an 
advisory body that can help design peace policies.

The CNP was created by a 1998 law and is made up of 
representatives of all three branches of government, oversight 
bodies, churches, central trade unions and a range of civil 
society organisations.

During the meeting with the CNP, Restrepo reiterated that his 
government is willing to immediately sign a framework accord, the 
first step of which -- he said -- would be the release of all 
hostages and a halt by the ELN to the practice of kidnapping.

Beltrán, however, sees the process as only halfway there, because 
of ”very large differences.” 

He said that in the talks, there are two ideas of peace: the 
rebels' conception, which is based on ”social justice, democracy 
and sovereignty,” and the government's, which is interested in 
”the demobilisation and disappearance of the ELN.”

In a brief meeting with journalists this week, the guerrilla 
chief described ”the process of building peace” as fruit ”that 
was green, is now starting to take on some colour, and will 
ripen.”

But in order for it to ripen, ”it is necessary to wait a little,” 
because ”the problems we are facing are very big.”

He said, however, that there will be a framework accord aimed at 
easing the humanitarian situation, bringing about a ceasefire, 
and opening up greater spaces for participation by society.

Analysts say the signing of that accord will represent a major 
qualitative leap in the preliminary talks between the ELN and the 
government.

Unlike during the first few rounds of talks in Havana, which 
ended with news briefings, the two delegations have more recently 
avoided contact with the press.


***** + Acuerdo Base text - in Spanish 
(http://www..gov.co/noticias/2007/julio/documentos/Informe%20ejecutivaltocomisionadoparalapazo.pdf 
) + COLOMBIA: Uribe Prepared to Sign Agreement with ELN 
(http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=38905) + Colombia: A 
Nation Torn - More IPS News 
(http://www.ipsnews.net/new_focus/colombia/index.asp)


(END/IPS/LA HD IP BO/TRASP-SW/PG/DCL/07)


 
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