AFP. 14 January 2002. Diplomats, govt official in rebel zone for 11th-hour peace talks.
LOS POZOS -- Marxist rebels opened a meeting here in rebel-held southern Colombia with a UN peace envoy and diplomats of ten nations seeking to revive stalled peace talks, hours ahead of an expected late Monday military invasion. James LeMoyne, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special advisor on Colombia, joined the diplomats -- led by French ambassador Daniel Parfait -- in 11th hour talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Top government peace negotiator Camilo Gomez also traveled early Monday to the area, a presidential palace source said. The source however did not say if Gomez would participate directly in the FARC-UN meetings. Upon departing Bogota, Parfait told reporters the diplomats hope to revive talks. "We are not going empty-handed," Parfait said. "We are convinced that the only way out of the Colombian conflict is by a negotiated political solution." Parfait coordinates the so-called 'group of ten' countries that actively support Colombia's peace process. The group is composed of Cuba, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico and Venezuela. Speaking to reporters early Monday in Los Pozos, the heart of the rebel-controlled area, LeMoyne said that outspoken Medellin Archbishop Alberto Giraldo, a top national Catholic Church leader, will also be at the talks. Gomez and the diplomats traveled in separate airplanes. According to unofficial sources, Gomez is also traveling to meet with civilians and residents of the area. Leftist rebels said Sunday they would meet a 9:30 pm Monday (0230 GMT Tuesday) government deadline to vacate their Switzerland-sized sanctuary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews
