Colombia's ELN rebels freeze peace talks planned for April

BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels said on Thursday they are suspending participation in the coming cycle of peace talks with the government, planned for this month, but will attend an extraordinary meeting scheduled for Friday.

The announcement is the latest development in recent troubles at the talks, restarted by President Gustavo Petro at the end of 2022 as part of his efforts to end Colombia's six-decade conflict, which killed at least 450,000 people.

The guerrilla group, founded by radical Catholic priests in 1964, said the suspension was due to "government insistence in carrying out a demobilization operation in Narino against the ELN," referring to regional talks with one of its factions taking place southwestern province.

The parallel talks are contrary to the fair play and good faith which should characterize negotiations, the rebel group, which objected earlier this year to similar talks with communities in Narino, added.

"It is necessary not to lose time," the government's negotiating team said in its own statement, saying it was imperative work at the negotiating table move ahead.

The dire situation that people living in the provinces of Arauca, Choco and Narino are confronting must also be attended to, the government added.

The government previously has defended the community talks and said the ELN is unnecessarily prolonging negotiations.

The ELN said its delegates are already in Caracas, Venezuela for an extraordinary meeting it requested with the government earlier this week.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta, Editing by Franklin Paul)