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Spain: ETA’s “Permanent” Ceasefire Bid

  • January 11th, 2011
  • Posted by EUEditor

eta-symbol.jpgThe Basque terrorist organisation ETA has announced a “permanent” ceasefire.

“ETA has decided to declare a permanent and general ceasefire which can be verified by the international community”, it said.

“ETA needs to make a serious engagement … prior to embarking on a durable solution and the end of armed confrontation.”

The measuring-out of the commitment to try for non-violent solutions received a curt response from the Spanish government, saying it was clearly less than was expected, and “not the end” of the conflict.

ETA announced last August it would be suspending terrorist operations, producing much the same story as this, reported then in part, in EUAustralia Online:-

“ETA has to renounce violence completely forever,” the Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said.

The government’s skepticism is built on several failed ceasefire moves over a period of decades.

It has made gains with the capture and imprisonment of several ETA leaders on charges related to terrorism.

Others in the movement want a change to electoral politics in the Basque region, for which they would need to obtain a peace settlement, and so, lifting of a ban on the political wing of the movement.

Basque nationalism was suppressed after the Spanish civil war and defeat of the Spanish republic, which had recognised claims for regional autonomy.

The movement  -  Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Freedom) -  continued its underground campaign after the end of the Franco regime, more than 800 deaths attributed to terrorist actions in the last 40 years.

It is listed as a terrorist group by the European Union.

Tension and recurrent disturbances in the region have long been held in contrast to ongoing calm in the French Basque country across the border.

See EUAustralia Online, “ETA ceasefire talk”, (25.8.11).

Reference

BBC News, London, “Eta rebels call ‘permanent truce’ “, 10.1.11.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/, (10.1.11).

Le Monde, Paris, AFP, “L’ETA annonce un cessez-le-feu ‘permanent’”, 10.1.11.
http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2011/01/10/l-eta-annonce-un-cessez-le-feu-permanent_1463500_3214.html#xtor=EPR-32280229-[NL_Titresdujour]-20110110-[zonea]&ens_id=1272761, (10.1.11).

Picture   ETA logo