Colombian rebels vow to end kidnappings

Colombia's FARC rebels pledged to stop kidnapping for ransom and to release all 10 remaining "prisoners of war," marking a historic shift in Latin America's last major insurgency. The concessions came three months after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) set off massive anti-rebel protests throughout the country by allegedly executing four long-time hostages during a government raid. "We have often spoken about the kidnappings of men and women from the civilian population, that we, the FARC, have carried out for financial reasons to help support our struggle," the statement said. "We are announcing that, from this date, we are outlawing these practices in the framework of our revolutionary activity," read the statement, released via the www.farc-ep.co site. "We wish to announce that in addition to our already announced plans to free six prisoners of war, we will free the four others who remain under our power." "Prisoners of war" refers only to police and military personnel and the statement did not make clear if the guerrillas intended to release hundreds more civilian prisoners still thought to be in their custody. The FARC statement also stopped short of agreeing to cease hostilities with the government and failed to spell out if Colombian security forces would still be considered legitimate targets for hostage-taking. Dated February 26 and signed by the "Central Secretariat," the statement said "serious obstacles" remained to the conclusion of a peace agreement with the government, but did not specify what those impediments were. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, who served as defense minister between 2006 and 2009 and registered a number of victories against the FARC during that period, welcomed the pledges but said they were not enough. "We appreciate the announcement by the FARC that it is renouncing kidnapping as an important and necessary step in the right direction, but it is not sufficient," he wrote on his Twitter account. Santos added that his government was delighted for the hostages and their families and would do everything possible to ensure there was no "media circus" surrounding their release, a date for which was not given by FARC. Santos has not ruled out negotiations with the FARC but has always demanded that the guerrillas first carry out goodwill gestures such as ending kidnappings, the recruitment of children and terror attacks. The FARC had already agreed to free six military and police hostages but postponed that move earlier this month saying it had noted suspicious military movements in the area where the captives were held. The Marxist guerrilla group, founded in 1964, named a new leader, Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez, late last year after the previous supremo, Alfonso Cano, was killed in an army raid in early November. Timochenko, whose real name is Rodrigo Londono, had already stated his willingness to negotiate with the government and made references to the agenda of the last peace talks that failed almost a decade ago. Colombia has received billions of dollars in US military aid in the past decade alone, vastly improving local intelligence and transport performance. And the FARC has suffered serious losses since 2008, when its number two, Raul Reyes, died in a Colombian army raid in Ecuadoran territory. Also, its historic leader, Manuel "Sure Shot" Marulanda Velez, died following a brief illness. Pressure mounted when three policemen and a soldier -- held for more than 12 years -- were allegedly executed on November 26 when a rebel camp came under attack. The incident set off nationwide anti-FARC protests. Santos broke off contacts with the FARC earlier this month after the group was blamed for two separate car bombs that left 15 people dead and 100 wounded. The FARC, believed to have 8,000 members, has been at war with the government since 1964. It began a campaign of kidnappings in the mid-1980s, seizing army hostages to serve as bargaining chips for FARC prisoners. By the late 1990s, the group won greater notoriety by snatching civilians and political leaders. Colombia's best-known hostage was former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, a dual French-Colombian national who was kept in captivity in the jungle for six years. On July 2, 2008, Colombian troops disguised as humanitarian workers arrived by helicopter and released Betancourt and 14 other hostages, including three US military contractors. Other captives have not been so lucky however, languishing for years with little hope of deliverance.