The Colombian government on Saturday said it was offering a near-$1 million dollar reward for information leading to the capture of a senior former FARC guerilla commander wanted for violating a peace treaty that ended half a century of armed conflict.

Defense Minister Guillermo Botero announced the reward of around $930,000 a day after a peace tribunal canceled Hernan Dario Velasquez Saldarriaga's parole following his failure to appear before it three times.

Facing accusations of murders and kidnappings, Velasquez's whereabouts have been unknown since June 2018, when he left the southern jungle area where he was supposed to be re-entering society.

The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) was set up to try former combatants and hand out alternative sentences to prison time if they confess their crimes, compensate victims and pledge never to resort to violence again. Violating those conditions carries a sentence of up to 20 years.

Velasquez, who is known as "El Paisa" and headed the former rebel group's main elite force, is the first rebel leader to be sanctioned by the tribunal.

He left the area with FARC's former chief peace negotiator Ivan Marquez. Both distanced themselves from the deal after rebel leader Jesus Santrich, wanted on drug trafficking charges in the US, was captured for extradition last April.

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Syria constitutional committee 'unclear': Russian negotiator
Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (AFP) April 25, 2019
Russia's envoy on Syria said Thursday that "several unclear issues" were slowing the formation of a constitutional committee which the United Nations hopes will drive a political settlement for the war-ravaged country. Speaking at the end of the first day of talks in Kazakhstan with Iran, Turkey and delegations from the Syrian regime and its armed opponents, Russia's Syria negotiator Aleksandr Lavrentyev said the talks over the committee were "complex" but "moving forward." "We are on a comple ... read more