[REUTERS]
“Basque separatist group ETA, responsible for decades of violence in Spain and France, Thursday announced it would permanently disband.”
“– The group has killed more than 850 people since 1968, typically using car bombs or shootings.”
“– Spain, the United States and the European Union have listed ETA as a terrorist organization. The Socialist government broke off peace talks with ETA after the rebels killed two people with a car bomb at Madrid airport in December 2006, the first time ETA had killed since May 2003.”
“– The last ETA-related fatality was the murder of a French policeman near Paris in March 2010 in a shoot-out — the first French security officer to be killed by ETA.”
“– Government officials set up illegal death squads known as Anti-Terrorist Liberation Groups (GAL) to fight a covert war against ETA. GAL killed 28 people from 1983-1987. After GAL’s existence came to light, the interior minister was convicted of kidnapping and other senior officials found guilty of murder.”
“– The government believes ETA has been severely weakened by hundreds of arrests in recent years.”
“– Arnaldo Otegi, the jailed leader of Batasuna, the banned political wing of ETA, has called on the rebel group to declare a permanent ceasefire and said an independent Basque region could only be secured through peaceful, democratic means.”
“– The group called a permanent ceasefire in January 2011 after more than four decades of violence, Basque regional newspaper Gara said on its website. However, the government rejected the new ceasefire call.”
“– Imprisoned members of ETA also decided in September 2011 to join the drive for peace, however, the government said although the bid was welcome, it did not go far enough because ETA had to disband. The EPPK prisoner collective, representing some 700 ETA members in jails across Spain and France, decided on September 23 to sign the 2010 Guernica agreement which demanded the separatist group lay down its arms in favor of peace talks.”
Read more: Factbox: Key facts about Basque separatist group ETA
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