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EU asks Colombian gov't, rebels to coordinate on body return |
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11:12, July 10, 2007 |
The European Union's ambassador to Colombia on Monday called on the Colombian government and the rebels to work with the Red Cross on the return of the bodies of 11 regional deputies killed on June 18.
"We hope to hear the truth about what happened," said Adrianus Koetsenruijter, who offered forensic help to identify the bodies.
The government and the rebels blamed each other for the killings, which occurred during a Colombian army's attempt to rescue the deputies who had been held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) since 2002.
In a statement published on its website, the FARC on Monday demanded that Spanish, French and Swiss government representatives be present at the handover of the bodies.
The FARC also demanded government forces withdraw from the handover site.
The rebel group also wanted former Colombian presidential candidate Alvaro Leyva to be present. Leyva has been trying to help the FARC and the government negotiate.
Earlier on Monday, the International Red Cross called on the FARC and the government to collaborate, adding that victims' relatives have asked for the bodies to be returned confidentially.
Yves Heller of the Colombia's Red Cross told media that the Colombian government has approved efforts to recover the bodies.
Heller insisted that the FARC must guarantee the safety of a team to handle the return of the bodies.
The government said earlier that the FARC has tried to hide evidence that will implicate the guerillas, and described the deaths as evidence of a premeditated crime.
Colombians staged a nationwide protest on Thursday demanding a humanitarian exchange, something on which the government and the FARC have failed to agree.
The deputies were kidnapped on April 11, 2002, by rebels during a regional assembly in the southeastern province of Valle de Cauca.
The 17,000-strong FARC holds a total of 56 hostages, including a former presidential candidate and three Americans.
Source: Xinhua
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