Colombia extends FARC ceasefire amid talks to save peace deal

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has extended a ceasefire with FARC rebels, which was due to expire on 31 October, until the end of the year to give more time to save a peace deal.

The historic accord, signed with the left-wing rebel group last month, was narrowly rejected in a national referendum, with 50.2% of voters voted to reject the deal.

Santos has reporteldy spent the past few days meeting those who campaigned for a "No" vote.

He will take new proposals to a meeting with FARC leaders in the Cuban capital, Havana.

The original ceasefire ended with the referendum and has already been extended until 31 October.

"I have made the decision to extend the bilateral ceasefire until December 31. Let this be clear: This is not an ultimatum nor a deadline, but I hope that the entire process of obtaining a new agreement will be complete well before then," the President said in a televised address.

Santos said he had made the decision to extend the ceasefire further after meeting student leaders who had organised marches through Bogota in support of the peace deal.

The peace agreement took more than four years to negotiate, and reportedly required special courts to be created to try crimes committed during the conflict. According to the BBC, the main reason for the public’s rejection of the agreement was the fact that those who confessed to their crimes would have been given more lenient sentences and would have avoided serving any time in conventional prisons.

The campaign to reject the deal, led by former President Alvaro Uribe, called for a stronger line to be taken against former rebels.

They were also reportedly angered that FARC guerrillas were offered congressional seats and non-custodial sentences such as clearing landmines in return for ending the conflict.

FARC leader Timoleon Rodriguez, better known as Timochenko, said on Wednesday he was confident the deal could be revived although he said he would be reluctant to renegotiate some elements of the accord.

An estimated 220,000 people have been killed during more than 50 years of conflict.