Talks begin in Colombia with dissidents who rejected FARC peace pact

The Colombian government started talks Monday with FARC dissidents who had rejected the guerrilla group's 2016 peace pact, with a view to demobilizing some 3,500 fighters and putting an end, once and for all, to their armed insurgency.

Negotiations between the government of President Gustavo Petro and leaders of the so-called Central General Staff (EMC) kicked off in Tibu in the country's northeast.The parties also agreed to observe a bilateral ceasefire until January 15, according to the defense ministry.

The government wants to give the dissidents a second chance to lay down arms after rejecting the 2016 peace agreement with the evolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), of which they were then a part. That deal saw about 7,000 FARC fighters give up arms and attempt to reintegrate into civilian life, though a faction under guerrilla leader Nestor Gregorio Vera, alias Ivan Mordisco, opted to keep fighting.