Colombia’s oldest rebel group should provide answers on the whereabouts or situations of around 60 missing soldiers, the government said.
“There are at least 60 of our men who are missing. Many of them were lost 14 and 15 years ago in areas controlled by the guerrillas” who serve the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, said senior Colombian army commander General Sergio Mantilla, according to Colombia Reports.
FARC, a Marxist organization that the United States considers a terrorist group, recently announced it would hold talks with the Colombian government on how to end the decades-long conflict. FARC has delved into drug trafficking in recent years.
Mantilla added that “we are almost sure they [FARC] have them in their possession and we hope they will give us news so that we can respond to the families.”
The peace talks will be held in around two weeks, but Mantilla said FARC’s motives are dubious.
“The FARC are cynical. The Colombian people know them, so it is difficult to trust or believe them,” he said.
“They need to answer for the recruitment of minors and for the use of explosive devices that kill the people they are supposedly defending,” he said, referring to allegations that FARC uses child soldiers and has carried out terrorist attacks.
In a recent interview, FARC commander Andres Paris told Al Jazeera that the group would partake in a ceasefire only if it and the government both lay down their weapons.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Friends Read Free