Bogota, March 13 (RHC) -- Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced on Monday that his government will resume peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN), aimed at ending five decades of internal conflict in the South American nation.

Santos suspended the talks in early January, after accusing the ELN of launching an attack on a police station in northern Colombia.

Since the suspension, violence has only escalated in the country, leading the government to agree on going back to the negotiation table in Quito, Ecuador, venue of the bilateral peace talks.

On March 9th, the ELN began a unilateral ceasefire to coincide with legislative elections in the country, held this past Sunday. The unilateral ceasefire is due to conclude Tuesday, March 13th.

The rebel group issued a statement on their website Monday, saying they were going back to the negotiation table with “the conviction that it is better to carry out the dialogue in the midst of a bilateral ceasefire."