Colombia’s second largest rebel group, the ELN, said Monday it has kidnapped two Germans in northern Colombia.
In a message posted on the rebels’ website, the ELN leadership said the foreigners were kidnapped by ELN rebels in the northern Catatumbo region weeks ago already.
“Units of the ELN captured in the Catatumbo region the gentlemen
In a video posted on YouTube the same day, ELN leader “Gabino” said that “peace is not an easy road, but it is necessary to take it, we are ready to do it.”
The German embassy in Bogota would not comment to Spanish press agency EFE “out of respect and in the interest of those affected.”
PROFILE: ELN
The ELN, with some 2,500 armed members, has so far been denied access to the ongoing peace talks between the Colombian government and larger rebel group FARC in Havana, Cuba.
Earlier this year, the guerrilla group kidnapped two Peruvians and a Canadian also in the north of Colombia.
MORE: ‘ELN’ kidnaps 3 foreigners, 2 Colombians in northern Colombia