FARC peace talks resume in Havana under a cloud of tension

Peace talks between Colombian government officials and members of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) resumed in Havana on Wednesday just days after 20 rebels were ambushed by the military.

The talks, which are aimed at ending a nearly 50-year-old bloody conflict, have reached a critical stage, not just because of the military's slaughter of the rebels but also because of a FARC negotiator's comments that the rebel group was still holding "prisoners of war." The comments brought a reprimand by the government's lead negotiator Humberto de La Calle.

The seriousness of the bickering between the two sides was evident as members of both negotiating teams entered the backdoor of the Havana Palace of Conventions in an effort to avoid reporters.

"The FARC has to respond to the victims; it has to clarify this issue of kidnapping. The way to deal with the issue of kidnapping is not through ambiguities," De La Calle said before departing Colombia for Cuba.

Despite a two-month ceasefire called by the FARC, which is expected to expire on January 20, Colombian forces killed at least 20 FARC guerrillas in an air and ground raid near the border with Ecuador over the weekend, the army said on Monday. It was the deadliest strike against rebels since the peace process began in October.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said last week that he will extend the deadline for the talks until next summer.

The negotiations are being moderated by Norway, Cuba, Venezuela and Chile.