Ógra Shinn Féin has welcomed today's ceasefire declaration by Basque separatist group Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA).
ÓSF call on the Spanish government to initiate talks with the leaders of the Basque nationalist movement as quickly as possible. Statements by the Spanish government that it will not negotitate with ETA unless it completely disarms are hopelessley unrealistic. The only available option to move this process forward is for the Spanish government to react positively to this announcement, initiate all inclusive talks and create the conditions whereby peaceful democratic means can become a viable option to resolve this conflict.
The Spanish government must also cease it's criminalisation policy of Basque political parties and movements who support Independence.
2 comments:
That's a good article, John, have mentioned it on my blog.
Marky - Given that ETA have reneged on previous ceasefire settlements can you really blame the Spanish authorities for not giving the benefit of the doubt again?
And that's before we even launch into a discussion of whether a terrorist organisation constitutes an 'army'...!
From what I've seen Spain has never really meaningfully engaged with ETA one show of faith might be the release of people arrested form membership of Batasuna and SEGI and the ending of their proscription but this is based on Spains record very unlikely, in that sense ETA are denied any avenue other more of the same which is also unlikely to achieve any great change due to the failure of ETA to launch a meaningful military campaign. The ball really is in the spanish court.
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