Weakened Eta declares ceasefire

Eta, the violent Basque separatist group weakened by the arrest in 2009 and 2010 of several of its military leaders, said on the 5 September 2010 that it had ceased 'offensive armed attacks' and was ready to negotiate and take part in democracy to win independence for the Basque country.

The Spanish government officials greeted the announcement coolly based partly on previous experience of such announcements.

Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Spain’s Interior Minister, dismissed as irrelevant on the 6 September 2010 the ceasefire saying that the militants could not be trusted and the government would continue to pursue Eta members.

ESO: Background information: Zero Tolerance in the Fight against ETA http://www.europeansources.info/record/zero-tolerance-in-the-fight-against-eta/

ESO: Background information: Three Eta suspects arrested in France http://www.europeansources.info/record/three-eta-suspects-arrested-in-france/

BBC News, 5.9.10: Basque separatist group Eta 'declares ceasefire' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11191395

France24, 6.9.10: Basque govt dismisses ETA ceasefire as ‘insufficient’ http://www.france24.com/en/20100905-eta-ceasefire-dismissed-absolutely-insufficient-govt-basque-separatist

Deutsche Welle, 5.9.10: Basque separatist group ETA declares ceasefire http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5976775,00.html

El Correo, 6.9.10: ETA ceasefire meets with scepticism (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/331851-eta-ceasefire-meets-scepticism

Deutsche Welle, 6.9.10: Spain dismisses ETA ceasefire offer as insufficient http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5977993,00.html

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