Colombia FARC free two soldiers, vow to release general by weekend - Reuters

Colombian Marxist rebels released two captives on Tuesday and vowed to free a kidnapped army general by the weekend in a move that may lead to the resumption of suspended peace talks which aim to end five decades of war.

President Juan Manuel Santos halted two-year-old negotiations in Havana after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) seized five hostages, threatening to derail efforts to end a war that has killed more than 200,000 people since 1964.

Santos, who has staked his legacy on a successful peace deal, has said talks would not restart until all the hostages, including General Ruben Dario Alzate, the highest-ranking military official ever taken by the FARC, are freed.

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