58 people have died in clashes between armed rebel groups in northern Colombia, the newspaper El Tiempo reported, citing government figures.
The most victims were in the municipalities of Tibú and Teorama - 19 and 22, respectively. According to the publication, residents of the Catatumbo region, where clashes are taking place, are fleeing en masse to other areas.
Clashes between the rebel group "Army of National Liberation" and groups formed by former members of the "Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia" have been ongoing for several days. On Friday, President Gustavo Petro called the actions of the "Army of National Liberation" war crime and announced the suspension of peace talks. The armed forces sent reinforcements to Catatumbo.
The "National Liberation Army", which numbers several thousand people, remained the only major rebel group in the country after the government reached a peace agreement with the "Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia" in 2016.
This document ended a bloody conflict that lasted more than half a century and claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people. In November 2022, the authorities announced the start of dialogue with the "National Liberation Army" . The dialogue process was paused and resumed several times.