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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

End to ETA war in Basque country a great boost for Sinn Fein and Irish peace process strategy

Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 03:46 PM

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Arnaldo Otegi and Gerry Adams, 2007

The debate about Sinn Fein and their role in Irish politics will continue long beyond this current presidential election in Ireland.

But there is no question that they have now helped create another major opportunity for peace in the long running guerrilla war in Basque country on the French/Spanish border.

ETA, the IRA equivalent, have announced an end to their armed campaign after meeting with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and several other peacemakers, including former Irish leader Bertie Ahern and former UN Secretary Genera Kofi Annan.

It seems the lessons of the Irish peace process are many and varied and that its positive impact is still being seen worldwide.

ETA tried and failed to end their campaign several times, but this time it seems final. Their political wing Batasuna has been ineffective, unlike Sinn Fein in convincing ETA to take that last vital step.

That now appears to have changed

There is great credit due to all concerned.

Gerry Adams has welcomed the ETA announcement that they will end their armed conflict in Spain.

"I welcome the decisive and positive terms of ETA’s response to Monday’s ‘Declaration’ in Donostia-San Sebastian by the International Conference group.

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“Following our deliberations the International Group expressed the opinion that ‘it is possible to end, the last armed confrontation in Europe’.

“We called upon ETA to “make a public declaration of the definitive cessation of all armed action and to request talks with the governments of Spain and France to address exclusively the consequences of the conflict.

“I believe that their statement today meets that requirement and I would urge the governments of Spain and France to welcome it and agree to talks exclusively to deal with the consequences of the conflict.

“These next steps should be about promoting reconciliation, addressing the issue of victims and recognizing that a serious effort has to be made to heal personal and social wounds.

“There are other issues which will need to be addressed and which can act as confidence-building measures within the process.

“For example, among these are the issue of prisoners and of demilitarizing the environment and of respecting and acknowledging the democratic rights of all political parties and treating them as equals.

“At a time when Batasuna is banned and leaders like Arnaldo Otegi, who is totally committed in my view to peace, are imprisoned, the use of confidence-building measures by the Spanish state is very important.”

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FallsRNat | Oct 25, 2011, 01:24 PM EDT

can someone tell me how an organisation like PIRA has created a UI, 3000 people died & NI is still part of the UK as enshrined in international law. PIRA was defeated as we in the Official Sinn Fein always predicted they would be, the Ulster independence movement wants to re-unite with Scotland outside of the UK if needs be, both England/Wales don't have the sectarian hatred that is imbued into the blood of many of the nationalist/republican/loyalist/unionist community in north/south ireland, the scots are simply an extension of this. The church of Scotland is a true protestant church, not a halfway house like the anglicans in England, you can't unite the country without uniting the people 1st & to insist that the prods are at fault for partition & only their paramilitary activities should be construed as murder is not the way forward. Both Adams & McGuiness were warned that the demonisation of the Orange Order would comeback to haunt the nationalist/republican community post troubles, but unfortunately for short term political gain, they chose to rant at the Love March in dublin, yet strangely kept quiet about the biggest OU parade that takes place in donegal every year - the alienation of the protestant community in both countries should not be underestimated, we now have an Irish Unionist party pushing for a reunification of north/south under the UK. We allowed PSF to dictate the political agenda, anyone in doubt of the fallout of this should come to the Falls where i live, i'll take them down to the site of the peace wall which is being extended between the communities as we speak, hardly a recipe for local inclusiveness, let alone a 32 county united state

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Kilsally | Oct 21, 2011, 12:43 PM EDT

aloistmartin actully there is a small Northern Ireland / Ulster Independence movement and would expect many `unionists` would support it as second choice as their is a definite Northern Irish identity.

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cillowen | Oct 21, 2011, 11:40 AM EDT

who knew - sinn fein peaCEmakers. the sob reach is a cover for the apartheid practice that McGuinness had to set right - and thento become their buddy noless - strange bedfellows abounding across the spectrum. then we have sadam with the kurds and gasses administered - provide by?

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ballindaggin | Oct 21, 2011, 04:52 AM EDT

Its time that the Irish Government and the people of Ireland realised the true value of Sinn Fein instead of continously rubbing their noses in the atrocities of the last thirty years.It wasnt just a violent struggle but also a political one where the only winner is the Peace Process and all those involved.

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aloistmartin | Oct 20, 2011, 06:55 PM EDT

Like Ireland the struggle is not so much a Regional Question as It Is a National One as Well. N. Ireland does not seek Regional Autonomy, but Unification with the Free Irish State. Likewise The Basque Republican Struggle Is part of The Greater Dream of Universal European Regional Suffrage. The Bourgeoisie Monarchies must be made Known the Resolve of the Countryside to Self Determination. Else they be like some Prince Harry and Madonna Soap Opera.

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