http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11197409

 

It is not clear whether the ceasefire is permanent or temporary

The Spanish government has dismissed as "insufficient" a ceasefire by the Basque separatist group Eta.

Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Eta must renounce violence forever.

In a tape obtained by the BBC at the weekend, Eta said it would no longer carry out "armed actions".

Eta's campaign for a separate Basque state has led to more than 820 deaths over the past 40 years.

The group has called two ceasefires in the past but abandoned them both. It is unclear whether the latest is meant as a permanent or temporary move.

Mr Rubalcaba said Eta had broken too many ceasefires to be trusted and the days of declaring a truce and starting a dialogue had passed.

"I think the word insufficient reflects quite well the position not (just) of the government but of all the democratic parties," he told Spain's state-run TVE television station on Monday.

Mr Rubalcaba demanded "a definitive and unconditional abandonment" of Eta's violent campaign.

The latest statement by the group came after the arrests of numerous Eta leaders.

In the video broadcast by the BBC on Sunday, three hooded Eta fighters are shown sitting behind a desk with the Eta flag pinned up behind them.

One reads out a statement defending Eta's campaign of violence, but towards the end says the group now wants to achieve its aims by peaceful means.

"Eta confirms its commitment to finding a democratic solution to the conflict," the statement says.

It adds that the group is seeking dialogue with the Spanish government.

 

so far reaction here among politicians is it is a strategy so they don't believe it much.

 

i personally don't think this 3rd time will work.

Spain's Basque rebels Eta call 'permanent truce'

 

The group said it was committed to a "lasting resolution" to its campaign

The Basque separatist group Eta has announced a permanent ceasefire in its fight for independence from Spain.

In a video statement sent to the media, the group said the truce would be "internationally verifiable".

But the Spanish government has rejected Eta's statement, saying it contained nothing new.

Eta's campaign for independence for the Basque region has cost more than 800 lives since 1968 but it called a halt to armed attacks last year.

As in previous filmed statements, the video showed three Eta militants in white hoods. They said it was "time to act with historical responsibility".

It said it was declaring "a permanent and general ceasefire which will be verifiable by the international community".

"This is Eta's firm commitment towards a process to achieve a lasting resolution and towards an end to the armed confrontation," said the statement.

'Arrogant' But it said it would continue its "indefatigable struggle" for a "truly democratic situation in the Basque Country".

There was no explicit reference to the group giving up its arms, which has been a key demand of the government.

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Madrid says the strong language in the statement goes further than Eta has before, particularly the claim that the truce would be "verifiable", which could indicate a willingness to disarm.

But speaking a few hours after the statement was released, Spain's Interior Ninister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Eta had again failed to declare a definitive and irreversible end to violence.

He said the statement was not bad news but was not what the country had been hoping for.

Eta was not abandoning its demands and remained "as arrogant as ever", he said.

Spain's socialist government has been wary of Eta's claims since the last truce was broken by a bomb attack at Madrid's Barajas airport in December 2006, says our correspondent.

That attack resulted in peace talks being called off.

In September last year, Eta announced an end to its armed offensive but the government said the move was too weak for negotiations to restart.

The government argues that the militant group has been seriously weakened by the arrest of most of its key leadership in recent years.

It has also come under pressure from its political wing, Batasuna, which has been outlawed because of its connections to Eta but wants to be able to take part in local elections later this year.

source

 

again :|