A splinter rebel group that chose not to take part in a sweeping 2016 peace accord said on Tuesday it would no longer engage in kidnapping for ransom. The announcement was the first major gain reached from ongoing peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC breakaway faction known as the Central General Command, or EMC Group. Both parties signed a statement with the agreement, which promised an end to “the practice of retention for economic purposes.” Peace talks with the EMC restarted in mid-November after the group briefly walked away from the discussions. In addition, the government of left-wing Colombian President Gustavo Petro said it would investigate “complaints concerning alliances of members of security forces… with illegal structures” and to look into ” urgent situations” of imprisoned EMC members. Another round of negotiations is set for January 9 to 18 in Bogota. The EMC is the most influential group of FARC rebels who refused the peace deal the insurgency signed with the government. A shaky cease-fire reached in January remains in effect, despite multiple violations that have at times threatened to derail peace talks. Petro, the first leftist to come to power in Colombia’s history, has sought to defuse six decades of conflict between the security forces, leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs. But the Defense Ministry has recorded an increase in kidnappings during the first year of his government, which began in August 2022. The opposition claims that his “Total Peace” policy has limited the actions of the police and military