The Colombian government has condemned the capture of two police officers by the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and demanded it renew its commitment to peace.
The FARC "has made a big mistake if they think they can thus force the government to adopt a bilateral ceasefire," Humberto de la Calle, head of the government delegation to peace talks with FARC, said. De la Calle said a final peace deal was the only way to a lasting ceasefire under the General Agreement signed last August.
The two sides endorsed a set of ground rules under the Agreement before holding peace talks in Oslo in October and continued in Havana in December to end the 50-year conflict. De la Calle said the delegation would still head for further peace talks in Havana.
The government rejected FARC's call for a ceasefire at the start of peace talks, fearing the rebels would break its promise as it did in 1999.The FARC rebels kidnapped the two police officers in the southwestern Valle del Cauca province five days after it ended a 60-day unilateral ceasefire on January 20.