U.N envoy James LeMoyne, right, talks to rebel leaders Simon Trinidad, center, and Andres Paris

Colombian residents in rebel stronghold fatalistic

SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUAN, Colombia (AP) -- While Colombia's government and rebels moved troops, readying for battles that might come if last-ditch peace efforts fail and the army moves to reclaim a rebel safe haven, residents watched and waited.

Rosa Quintero, who runs a little shop inside the rebel territory, said Friday she would see what comes.

"I'm staying," she said. "We're scared the army will bring the paramilitaries, or that there may be fighting here, but I have nowhere else to go."

Army troops were waiting at bases outside the Switzerland-sized safe haven, given to the rebels as a condition of the peace talks three years ago. If discussions between a U.N. envoy and the rebels fail Saturday night, the government has vowed to take back the jungle zone.

Meanwhile, rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, began abandoning camps outside San Vicente del Caguan -- the largest town in the zone -- and moving into the bush.

Residents in the zone were resigned as they faced the possibility of being caught in a battle between the two heavily armed forces.

"We all have to die sometime and somewhere," said Arturo Canas, 71, his eyes shaded from the brilliant sun by a straw hat as he drank coffee in a town square.

A FARC billboard denouncing U.S. military assistance to Colombia loomed over the plaza. The United States is spending $1.3 billion to help Colombia's anti-narcotics effort, but the rebels, who finance their fight with drug profits, consider that intervention in Colombia's conflict.

"People here are resigned," explained his friend, Jorge Alvarez. "If you have your home and family here and have built your life here, where are you going to go?

"It's better to die here in your own home than move away and have to live like a refugee, resorting to steal to eat."

More than a million people have been displaced by Colombia's decades-long civil war, which pits the FARC and another smaller rebel group against the illegal right-wing paramilitaries and U.S.-backed government forces.

President Andres Pastrana, who staked his presidency on resolving the 38-year conflict, appears close to giving up on his bid for peace. He gave the U.N. special envoy, James LeMoyne, until 9:30 p.m. Saturday to resuscitate peace talks, which the rebels abandoned in October after the military instituted security controls outside the safe zone.

The president said that after the deadline passes Saturday, the rebels will have 48 hours to vacate the zone if LeMoyne doesn't come up with a breakthrough in the 3-year-old peace process.

Discussions between LeMoyne and FARC leaders were scheduled to resume Saturday morning.

Some residents worried that if the peace talks should fail, the dreaded paramilitaries would swarm into the zone and kill anyone suspected of collaborating with the rebels. Still, few residents have evacuated the region.

FARC commander Andres Paris told The Associated Press the rebels would surrender the zone peacefully if an agreement isn't reached.

"If there is no accord, we will hand over the zone with protocol and courtesy," said Paris, clad in camouflage fatigues and armed with a machete, pistol and assault rifle.

An hour's drive outside of San Vicente, rebels abandoned a camp, leaving only roughhewn, wooden bed frames and poles on which tarps had hung. One of the last rebels at the camp, an 18-year-old woman, chased two chickens and stuffed them into a sack.

About 30 rebels clambered into a chiva -- a brightly painted open-air bus -- and headed for the jungle. Still, some rebel checkpoints remained in the area.

Despite all the troops moving around, there was little evidence of the building crisis in San Vicente, where bars, banks and bingo halls remained open as usual. Supermarkets reported no massive food purchases, and there was no run on the banks.

LeMoyne, who planned to spend the night in the safe haven, said the discussions were "constructive and positive." He declined to give specifics.

The FARC issued a statement expressing confidence that the crisis in the peace process could be resolved. But if it isn't, most expected plenty of violence.

Victor Ayala, a commander of San Vicente's unarmed civil police force, said he doubted the FARC would peacefully surrender the zone to the army. His officers regularly coordinate with the FARC to provide security in the town.

"The guerrillas are dispersing, but they will resist," Ayala said.