Colombia, ELN Guerrillas Launch Peace Process

Colombia's government and the country's second largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, announced Tuesday they have opened peace talks.

In a joint statement released by the government, the two sides said they have been holding exploratory talks since January "with the objective of agreeing on the agenda and design of the process to make viable the end of the conflict and build the peace."

So far, the two sides have agreed to hold talks about the victims of the conflict and the rebel group's "participation in society."

"The rest will have to be agreed on" at a later time, the statement said.

President Juan Manuel Santos -- who is facing a tough election run-off on Sunday in his bid for a new term -- was due to make a statement about the development at around 1800 GMT, a government source said.

Talks have been ongoing since November 2012 to end 50 years of armed struggle by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, (FARC) which has between 7,000 and 8,000 fighters, according to the army.

So far, the government has not held peace talks with the National Liberation Army -- known by its Spanish acronym ELN -- Colombia's second largest rebel group which has about 2,500 fighters.