Colombia’s armed forces have demanded FARC tell the truth about 60 missing soldiers, reported local media Monday.
“There are at least 60 of our men who are missing. Many of them were lost 14 and 15 years ago in areas controlled by the guerrillas,” claimed senior army commander, General Sergio Mantilla. He was further quoted in local media as saying, “We are almost sure they [FARC] have them in their possession and we hope they will give us news so that we can respond to the families.”
Mantilla was adamant that the whereabouts of these soldiers be a topic of discussion at the upcoming peace talks between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos’ administration and largest guerrilla group FARC’s leadership.
Just 15 days before the talks are due to formally commence in Oslo, Mantilla saw fit to criticize the FARC’s motives saying, “The FARC are cynical. The Colombian people know them, so it is difficult to trust or believe them. There are things that need to be called by their name. They need to answer for the recruitment of minors and for the use of explosive devices that kill the people they are supposedly defending.”