COLOMBIA: Country, ELN Aim For A Cease-fire In Third Round Of Peace Talks

(RTTNews) - The third round of peace talks between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla began Tuesday in Ecuador, aiming to reach a final truce between both parties.

The Colombian government intends to follow the same path through which Bogot? achieved a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that ended a conflict started more than a half century ago.

"Today begins the third round of talks between the government and the ELN. The primary goal will be to advance cease-fire and the end of hostilities," the government peace team wrote on Twitter.

ELN agrees that a cease-fire would bring some relief to the humanitarian situation in communities established in confrontation zones. "In the same way, we will insist that the state must stop aggression against the social movement and ensure the integrity of social leaders," the guerrilla said in a statement.

The peace process between the Colombian government and the ELN was launched in February.