Swiss authorities have confirmed that tape recordings of a Colombian peace conference, which ended earlier this week in Geneva, have been stolen.

The Swiss foreign ministry official responsible for the meeting, Jean-Pierre Gontard, said a technician who had the tapes was robbed by two Spanish-speaking men as he entered a car park next to the hotel where the meeting took place.

Gontard said the two men had made it clear they wanted the tapes. They escaped on foot.

Gontard said: "This theft isn't serious in itself, unless someone tries to manipulate the sound." He added, however, the act was most likely to have been carried out by "enemies of peace".

The Colombian peace talks, between government representatives and members of the country's second largest guerrilla force, the National Liberation Army, ended with general statements about the need for further discussions and compromise, but no concrete results.

swissinfo with agencies

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