Colombian government officials are set to meet later Tuesday with the rebels of the nation's second-largest guerrilla insurgency in a bid to restart peace talks.

Officials are holding the meetings in Cuba with representatives of the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN. Diplomats and international observers also are scheduled to attend the talks, set to conclude Thursday.

The development comes just after two weeks since the parties met in Cuba in an effort to reach an agreement for formal peace talks.

Preliminary discussions with the ELN broke down in August, with Colombian President Andres Pastrana saying the group was not serious about peace. Officials resumed contacts with the guerrillas in November.

The latest effort comes as the Colombian government negotiates a ceasefire with that country's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC.

Colombia has been wracked by civil war since 1964. About 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting in the past decade alone.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AP.

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