Colombian FARC rebels declare 30-day unilateral ceasefire
Havana (AFP) - Colombia's FARC rebels declared a 30-day unilateral ceasefire Sunday and urged the government to do the same, in a surprise move after a deadly bombing blamed on the guerrillas.
The announcement, effective December 15, came in a statement issued in the Cuban capital where the FARC and Bogota are in talks to end their bloody decades-long conflict.
"In a unilateral manner we order all our units... to cease fire and hostilities for 30 days," said the statement read to reporters by FARC spokesman Pablo Catatumbo.
But at the same time, the FARC ordered its fighters to "remain alert for any enemy operations" and to respond to these "without delay."
The rebels also said they hoped the government of President Juan Manuel Santos would "respond to this gesture by suspending operations."
The development came after the latest round of peace talks in Havana aimed at ending nearly five decades of conflict that has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced more than 4.5 million.
It also followed a deadly bombing in the Colombian town of Inza early Saturday blamed on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Eight people -- including two civilians, a police official and five members of the military -- died when a vehicle loaded with explosives blew up, according to the army.
The attack "clearly shows that the FARC continue to systematically commit acts of terrorism against civilians," the army said.
It was unclear whether the bombing played a part in the ceasefire announcement.
The Colombian government's delegation, headed by former vice president Humberto de la Calle, left the venue of the peace talks without comment. Negotiations are set to resume December 17.
When talks were launched in November 2012, the Marxist rebels also unilaterally declared a ceasefire for two months but lifted it after the Santos government refused to reciprocate.
Santos -- who is running for reelection next year -- has resisted relieving military pressure on the rebels before a peace deal is struck, saying such a move would give the FARC a strategic advantage.
In the wake of Saturday's attack, Santos urged the army to "stay on the offensive" and not give assailants "a minute of respite" in order to keep them from carrying out such attacks.
"The military offensive will continue until we reach an agreement," he said.
The latest round of peace talks was focused on drug trafficking. Issues still to be discussed include disarmament and reparations for victims of the conflict.
So far, the two sides have reached preliminary agreement on two of five topics -- agrarian reform and the FARC's return to political life once a comprehensive accord is reached.
Chief FARC negotiator Ivan Marquez said the drug discussions, which have yet to be completed, should involve the "nations of the world" because they concern a global problem.
He said the FARC opposed punitive measures that, "above all, affect the weakest links in the chain -- poor coca growers and drug users."
The rebels have long been accused of partly funding its operations by protecting drug smuggling routes in rural areas it controls.
Colombia vies with Bolivia as the world's biggest exporter of cocaine.
The FARC -- Colombia's largest and oldest rebel group that was established in 1964 -- has 7,000 to 8,000 fighters.
