Colombia’s Marxist FARC rebels released two soldiers who were taken prisoner during fighting two weeks ago, as the first step that may lead to the resumption of suspended peace talks to end five decades of war and bring the Leftist groups from the bush and into the political process.  The group is promising to release a captured general and two others before the weekend.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helped facilitate the release.

“An ICRC medic part of the mission checked on the soldiers to make sure they were fit to travel,” said the ICRC in a statement.  “They were transported in a helicopter with the ICRC logo to Tame, Arauca, where they were handed over to representatives of the Army.”

The FARC accused the Colombian government of needlessly complicating the release of the two men by conducting military operations in the area.

President Juan Manuel Santos said that peace talks could not resume until after all the hostages – including General Ruben Dario Alzate, the highest-ranking military official ever taken by the FARC – are freed.  The talks had been going on for two years until the general was abducted earlier this month.

More than 200,000 people have died and millions have fled the violence that began with FARC’s founding in 1964.