President Juan Manuel Santos has met with members of the rebel ELN after they surrendered their arms. The second largest rebel force in the country has around 1,500 members and this is the largest ELN group to lay down their arms.
"This is what the [peace] process is about. So every member of the ELN and the Farc should fight for their ideals, but without violence nor arms,” Santos said during the meeting in the south-eastern region of Cauca.
The government is currently in peace-talks with the largest rebel group, FARC, whose chief negotiator said on Monday that the conflict was nearing its end.
"It is possible [to reach an agreement by November]. But to achieve peace you need time. A bad peace deal is worse than war," Ivan Marquez of FARC said to media.
The ELN is not currently a party to the talks but FARC is discussing unification with the group and called on other left-wing groups to join the process.
