Colombia’s military and ELN rebels resumed hostilities on Wednesday after failing to agree to an extension of a bilateral ceasefire, in spite of pleas by victims and the international community to maintain a ceasefire.

The warring parties agreed to continue negotiating a new ceasefire in support of peace talks that began in February last year.

The first ceasefire with the guerrilla group in more than half a century lasted 101 days and was marred by violent incidents.

The United Nations said that its observers witnessed a major improvement for the civilian population in rebel territory since the truce came into effect in October.

[We] stress the humanitarian relief that the temporary ceasefire has brought to communities and the decrease in violence in most conflict-affected areas. They are tangible benefits that enhance the legitimacy of the peace process.

United Nations / Catholic Church monitoring mission

Without a ceasefire prohibiting the practice, The rebels could return to extorting communities to finance their decades-old uprising.

Both the guerrillas and Colombia’s defense minister said to be ready to resume hostilities in the weeks before the deadline.

The talks are complicated by a lack of confidence between the parties and upcoming votes to elect a new president and congress.

The ELN has accused the military of colluding with the AGC, a paramilitary group that has been combating the guerrillas in western Colombia.

Both security forces and ELN guerrillas are investigated for massacres that took place during the ceasefire.

The truce was the first of the ELN since the Marxist group appearance in 1964.

The peace talks take place while the FARC — until last year Colombia’s largest guerrilla group — is running in their first elections since the beginning of the conflict.

Also this process has been marred by irregularities and is hardly popular among the country’s population that is polarized after decades of drug-fueled political violence.</s>Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas are to end their 101-day ceasefire at midnight Tuesday, but the rebels' leader says there is a "consensus" on the need to extend it.

The ceasefire's expiration comes as rebel and Colombian government negotiators resume peace talks in neighboring Ecuador.

"Today Tuesday at 2400 hours the cessation, which lasted 101 days, comes to an end," ELN leader Pablo Beltran said, adding that there was a "consensus" to agree a further ceasefire in the talks.

Beltran said he hoped there would be no "erosion" of the ceasefire before an extension could be agreed.

Nonetheless, he has warned his forces to be alert to possible "offensive operations" by the Colombian army, he said.

"We have reached an important stage, that is, to develop the talks during the bilateral ceasefire. We are going to try to maintain that. Meanwhile we hope that there is no escalation," he said.

Both sides have separately said they want the ceasefire to be extended, but an accord has remained out of reach because of mutual accusations of failure to meet commitments.

Both the ELN and the government of President Juan Manuel Santos have accused each other of breaches since the truce began on October 1.

The ELN recently acknowledged the murder of an indigenous governor, for which it has asked the forgiveness of the Colombian people.

In turn, the rebels accused the security forces of killing seven coca farmers, and of military operations carried out in areas of ELN influence.

However, there were no reports of direct confrontations between the army and the rebels, which is unprecedented in the history of Colombia's conflict.

A pact with the ELN would close the last chapter of a half-century conflict in the South American nation, following a deal struck by Nobel Peace Prize-winning Santos in November 2016 with the much larger FARC insurgents.

The ELN has an estimated 2,000 fighters in its ranks.

Under its peace deal, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has disarmed, demobilized its fighters, and transformed into a political party using their same acronym.

Colombia's long internal conflict created around eight million victims, including those killed, made to disappear and displaced from their homes.</s>Colombia's Marxist ELN rebels resumed attacks on oil installations and the armed forces on Wednesday, just hours after the expiration of a ceasefire with the government that had reduced the intensity of the conflict, high-level military sources said.

BOGOTA: Colombia's Marxist ELN rebels resumed attacks on oil installations and the armed forces on Wednesday, just hours after the expiration of a ceasefire with the government that had reduced the intensity of the conflict, high-level military sources said.

The attacks threatened peace talks scheduled to resume on Wednesday between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the government.

The negotiations have been under way in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, since the beginning of last year in a bid to end more than 53 years of fighting but President Juan Manuel Santos ordered his chief negotiator back to Bogota to evaluate their future.

The rebels launched two bomb attacks in the early hours against the Cano Limon oil pipeline, which takes crude from the Cano Limon oil field, operated by Occidental Petroleum Corp, to the Caribbean. Two sections of the pipeline were damaged in Arauca and Boyaca provinces, forcing the suspension of pumping, a senior army official told Reuters.

The ELN also tossed a grenade at a naval base in Arauquita, in Arauca province, injuring two soldiers, the official said.

State oil company Ecopetrol also reported an attack on one of its facilities in a rural area of Aguazul in Casanare province.

If talks continue, the assault likely will pressure the government to quickly negotiate a new suspension of hostilities with the ELN.

"I deplore the decision by the ELN to reactivate its terrorist attacks," Santos said in a televised address. "The government was always willing to extend the ceasefire. Inexplicably, the ELN refused. Under the circumstances I have ordered the return of our chief negotiator to evaluate the future of talks."

The group's first-ever ceasefire, which began in October, ended overnight without being extended as logistical problems prevented the two sides from meeting at the scheduled time on Monday, the government said.

The ELN has said it will not extend the truce under original terms and wants a new deal.

Before the attacks, centre-right Santos had not said he would launch an immediate offensive against the group now that the ceasefire has ended.

During the ceasefire, reached on Sept. 4, the insurgent group promised to suspend hostage-taking, attacks on roads and oil installations, the use of landmines and the recruitment of minors. In turn, the government agreed to improve protection for community leaders and conditions for about 450 jailed rebels.

The 2,000-strong ELN has caused serious difficulty in the oil industry with its regular bombings of infrastructure and has taken numerous oil workers hostages over the years. It has clashed with other armed groups during the ceasefire.

Santos, who leaves office this year, signed a peace deal with the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in late 2016 after negotiations in Cuba that lasted four years.

The FARC is now a political party with a candidate for president in May elections.

The ELN, founded by radical Roman Catholic priests in 1964, has sought peace with the government before but made little progress. It is considered a terrorist group by the United States and European Union.</s>BOGOTA/QUITO (Reuters) - Colombia’s Marxist ELN rebels resumed attacks on oil installations and the armed forces on Wednesday, threatening the future of peace talks just hours after the expiration of a ceasefire agreement with the government.

The talks in Quito, Ecuador, had been scheduled to restart on Wednesday after a recess between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the government of center-right President Juan Manuel Santos.

Santos said he ordered his chief negotiator back to Bogota after the attacks, however, to weigh the future of a process that began early last year in a bid to end more than 53 years of fighting.

The rebels carried out three bomb attacks in the early hours against the Cano Limon oil pipeline, which takes crude from the Cano Limon oil field, operated by Occidental Petroleum Corp, to the Caribbean port of Covenas. The bombings against the pipeline, which is Colombia’s second most important, forced the suspension of pumping operations, the government said.

The ELN also staged a grenade attack on a naval base in Arauca province, injuring two soldiers.

Separately, state oil company Ecopetrol reported an attack on one of its facilities in a rural area Casanare province.

“I deplore the decision by the ELN to reactivate its terrorist attacks,” Santos said in a televised address.

“The government was always willing to extend the ceasefire. Inexplicably, the ELN refused. Under the circumstances I have ordered the return of our chief negotiator to evaluate the future of talks.”

The group’s first-ever ceasefire, which began in October, ended overnight. The ELN has said it will not extend the truce under the original terms and wants a new deal.

Pablo Beltran, chief ELN negotiator in Quito, said the group had adhered to the conditions of the ceasefire and that the two sides had always agreed to evaluate new terms after the 101-day truce expired.

He said Wednesday’s attacks occurred in “complex situations” of war and that the group maintained its intention to negotiate a new ceasefire.

“We’re seeking a response from the government to see if it’s interested in finding a way out of this incident. If there’s a positive response, the ELN delegation will remain in Quito,” Beltran said.

“But if there’s no positive response we will have to return to Colombia.”

During the ceasefire, reached on Sept. 4, the insurgent group promised to suspend hostage-taking, attacks on roads and oil installations, the use of landmines and the recruitment of minors. In turn, the government agreed to improve protection for community leaders and conditions for about 450 jailed rebels.

The 2,000-strong ELN has hurt the oil industry with its regular bombings of infrastructure and has taken numerous oil workers hostage over the years.

Santos, who leaves office this year, signed a peace deal with the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in late 2016 after negotiations in Cuba that lasted four years.

The FARC is now a political party with a candidate for president in May elections.

The ELN, founded by radical Roman Catholic priests in 1964, has sought peace with the government before but made little progress. It is considered a terrorist group by the United States and European Union.
After failing to reach agreement on an extension of the 101-day ceasefire, hostilities resume between Colombia's government and ELN forces.