New round of Colombian peace talks to be held soon

The Colombian government has authorized a Congress delegation to meet negotiators of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for a new round of peace talks, an official said Sunday. "We are hoping to resume the cycle again on Oct. 3 or later," Congress President CongJuan Fernando Cristo told local media. The 15th round of talks will again take place in Havana, Cuba, which has hosted Colombia's peace talks since last November to seek a solution to a five-decade armed conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions since it began in 1964. "The decision has been made. We will have that meeting. Time is defined by the negotiators. Congressmen and political parties' delegates are ready," Cristo added. The 14th round of negotiations ended on Sept. 19 without any new agreement. Previous talks yielded a partial accord on agrarian reform.