Colombia's FARC rebels say peace deal cannot be rushed

HAVANA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC guerrillas on Friday resisted the government's request to accelerate peace talks, saying "peace cannot be achieved with a stopwatch in hand." The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have fought a Marxist-inspired insurgency for 50 years in Latin America's longest war, which has killed some 220,000 people and displaced millions. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has repeatedly urged a rapid conclusion to peace talks, which have taken place in Havana for nearly two and a half years. In an open letter to Santos, the FARC on Friday blamed the government for unnecessary delays. Peace talks suffered a setback earlier this month when a rebel attacked killed 11 soldiers in rural Cauca province despite a unilateral rebel ceasefire. The FARC called the combat a legitimate case of self-defence while the Bogota government saw it as a brazen attack. Santos ordered the resumption of aerial attacks on rebel positions as a result. He had previously halted air raids in recognition of the FARC's unilateral ceasefire. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Bernard Orr)