FARC commander Catatumbo: Not an attack, legitimate defence
NEWS DESK (DİHA) - Farc has issued a statement after an attack in Cauca left 11 Colombian soldiers dead and shook the peace process, saying the incident was not an attack, but guerrilla units defending themselves.
FARC commander Pablo Catatumbo made a statement in which he said there had not been a planned attack, and that instead a clash had occurred between the army and guerrilla forces, in which the guerrillas had acted within the framework of legitimate defence.
Catatumbo, who is in Havana for peace talks, accused the Colombian government of provoking the clash by surrounding the guerrillas. Catatumbo said the Colombian army had been behaving in this way for 4 months. He called on President Santos to rescind his order ‘to lift the suspension of air strikes on FARC positions until further notice,’ saying this was not a solution, and that it only led to further deaths.
Colombian government insists FARC is responsible for breakdown in ceasefire
The Bogota government continues to insist that FARC guerrillas attacked army units. Justice Minister Eduardo Montealegre said FARC had 100 per cent responsibility for the attack, adding that the soldiers had been attacked while returning to their base. FARC announced a unilateral ceasefire last December, but the Colombian government announced it would not reciprocate until peace talks had concluded.
Experts say this latest incident has dealt a serious blow to the peace talks. More than 200 thousand people have died in the conflict in Colombia, which has continued for 5 decades.
(nt)
