Colombian rebels to release abducted general

Havana, Nov 20 (IANS/EFE) Colombian officials and leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have agreed to release Brig. Gen. Ruben Dario Alzate and four other people who were abducted by the guerrillas, Cuban and Norwegian representatives said.

"They will be released as soon as possible," Rodolfo Benitez and Rita Sandberg, respective representatives of peace process guarantor countries Cuba and Norway, said in a statement Wednesday.

FARC agreed to release Alzate, corporal Jorge Rodriguez and lawyer Gloria Urrego, who were abducted last Sunday in the western Colombian province of Choco.

Soldiers Cesar Rivera and Jonathan Diaz, captured Nov 9 following a clash on the eastern Colombia-Venezuela border, will also be freed.

The countries guaranteeing the peace process, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross, will participate in the release.

The terms will be similar to those for other operations carried out in the framework of the peace process.

Wednesday marked the second anniversary of the peace talks between the government and FARC being held in Havana with the former announcing that it would resume negotiations.

The talks were suspended following the abduction of Alzate and his two companions under circumstances that are being investigated.

"We need to lay down arms and end this armed conflict and violence. For this, I hope that this stalemate at Havana is resolved quickly," Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Wednesday.

--IANS/EFE

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