The Colombian government and FARC guerrillas have begun clearing the country's landmines in a joint effort seen as a ray of hope in their stumbling peace negotiations, the countries facilitating the talks said Friday.

The pilot mine-clearing mission was carried out over seven days in the northern region of Antioquia, officials said, the first step in a March agreement between the government and the Marxist guerrillas to disable all anti-personnel mines placed during half a century of civil war.