Basque ETA rebels seek international mediators
MADRID–The Basque separatist group ETA, which declared a truce this month, has called for international mediation to end one of Europe’s longest guerrilla conflicts, the Spanish daily Gara said on Sunday, citing a press release.
ETA, seeking an independent Basque homeland formed from parts of northern Spain and southern France, has been badly hit by recent arrests of key members and by concerted action by Spanish, French and Portuguese police to search out arms caches.
The ETA statement urged the international community “to push for and participate in the organisation of a democratic process to give a permanent, just and democratic solution to a centuries old political conflict.”
The group, which has killed over 850 people since 1968, called a truce on September 5 but gave no details of its duration or plans to disarm, leading Spain’s government to dismiss the announcement. “ETA has set sail on the route of opportunity towards a democratic solution to the conflict and has made the first move without dropping anchor. It is ready to sail in deeper waters,” the statement said.
ETA sends its lengthy press releases only to a handful of regional Basque language newspapers, liberally employing metaphor to describe its actions. Spain’s interior ministry declined to comment on the statement. Main opposition party leader Mariano Rajoy, at a rally in Southern Spain, described it as “not enough”.
“The only statement we are interested in from ETA is the one that says they are disbanding and their terror campaign is over,” Rajoy said.
