Colombia ex-rebels join quest to find nation's missing

Former combatants with Colombia’s once largest guerrilla group are joining the quest to find those who disappeared during the nation’s long civil conflict.

The group now known as the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force presented information on the cases of 276 missing people Tuesday.

A special unit tasked by Colombia’s peace process to search for the thousands who disappeared over more than five decades of conflict will analyze the information and work with authorities to try and locate remains.

More than 60,000 people disappeared during Colombia’s conflict.

Luz Marina Monzon is the director of the missing person’s unit. She described the information as the “the first step of many.”

More than half of the missing reported by the ex-combatants belonged to illegal armed groups while a quarter were civilians.