BOGOTA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Friday said on his X account that he ordered the suspension of peace dialogues with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group after the attacks that occurred in the country's northeastern Catatumbo area on Thursday.

The attacks committed by the ELN left at least 20 people dead and hundreds displaced, according to information provided by the government delegation.

"What the ELN has committed in Catatumbo are war crimes. The dialogue process with this group is suspended, the ELN has no will for peace," the president wrote on the social platform.

Ivan Cepeda, spokesperson for the government delegation in the peace talks with the ELN, confirmed that the instruction of the president will be followed and recognized that it is impossible to talk about peace with an armed group that murders unarmed civilians, social leaders and peace signatories.

At least five signatories of the Havana peace talks have been murdered in the municipalities of el Tarra, Teorama and Convencion in recent hours, according to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz).

These attacks have caused the displacement of hundreds of frightened families, and community organizations in Catatumbo have called for the immediate intervention of the government and the United Nations Verification Mission. Enditem

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