Colombia extends ceasefire with rebels as group promises to stop kidnappings

President Gustavo Petro held a ceremony to formally begin the ceasefire back last August (Ivan Valencia/AP)

Colombia’s government and the nation’s largest remaining guerrilla group have reached a last-minute deal to extend a ceasefire that began last year by six months, with the rebels also promising to stop kidnapping civilians for ransom.

The truce was set to expire on Tuesday, but in a brief statement issued just minutes before midnight both sides said they have extended the ceasefire for 180 days.