COLOMBIA: ELN And Gov't Agree On Bilateral Ceasefire Ahead Of Pope's Visit

(RTTNews) - Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group announced on Twitter that it has agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with the Colombian government at the end of the third round of talks in Quito, Ecuador. The ceasefire came only a few days before Pope Francis' visit to Colombia.

"Yes, it was possible! We thank all of those who actively supported the efforts to achieve this bilateral ceasefire," wrote the ELN on its Twitter account.

The government and the ELN guerrilla group are conducting peace talks in the neighboring Ecuador. Last week, the head of the Colombian government delegation in Quito, Juan Camilo Restrepo, said that both negotiating teams were trying to achieve a ceasefire before Pope Francis' visit to Colombia, scheduled to start on Wednesday.