The Colombian government resumed peace talks with leftist rebels Thursday in a renewed bid to end nearly half a century of armed conflict.

Negotiations, which began in November, picked up again in the Cuban capital Havana following a two-week break.

As proceedings got underway, FARC delegation member Andres Paris announced that the rebels would be releasing a "very important document" on Colombia's political situation over the course of the day.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, with an estimated 8,000 fighters, have been waging an insurgency against the state since 1964.

A recent government commission estimated that 220,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict. Other estimates run as high as 600,000 dead.

The latest round of talks are the fourth attempt since the 1980s to end Latin America's longest-running armed conflict. So far, however, the two sides have only been able to agree on the first of five points on the agenda.

Thursday's session will run until October 13.