A woman watches a news program announcing the dissolution of armed Basque separatists ETA due for the first week of May, according to local television station ETB, in Guernica Thomson Reuters MADRID (Reuters) - The Basque militant group ETA will announce its final dissolution early next month, the public television station ETB reported on Wednesday night.

During a campaign that lasted nearly half a century, ETA killed more than 850 people in a vain effort to create a Basque state in northern Spain and southwest France. But it declared a ceasefire in 2011 and handed over its arms a year ago.

A local newspaper, Gara, had reported in February that ETA's leaders would ask its members to vote on whether it should disband completely by the summer.

The group will announce its dissolution during the first weekend of May, ETB reported. </s> A regional public broadcaster says the Basque militant group ETA is ready to announce its final dissolution early next month, putting an end to decades of violent campaign for independence from Spain.

ETA killed more than 800 people including police, politicians and entrepreneurs before giving up its armed campaign for Basque independence in 2011 and getting rid of its arsenal one year ago.

Both France and Spain, where the group committed most of its deadly actions over more than 40 years, have demanded it take a further step and disband.

The Basque regional broadcaster ETB reported late on Wednesday that ETA will announce that step on the first weekend of May.

ETB said that an event to mark the end of ETA will be held in southern France before the final announcement by the group. </s> MADRID — A regional public broadcaster says the Basque militant group ETA is ready to announce its final dissolution early next month, putting an end to decades of violent campaign for independence from Spain.

ETA killed more than 800 people including police, politicians and entrepreneurs before giving up its armed campaign for Basque independence in 2011 and getting rid of its arsenal one year ago.

Both France and Spain, where the group committed most of its deadly actions over more than 40 years, have demanded it take a further step and disband.

The Basque regional broadcaster ETB reported late on Wednesday that ETA will announce that step on the first weekend of May.

ETB said that an event to mark the end of ETA will be held in southern France before the final announcement by the group. </s> The Basque militant group ETA is ready to announce its final dissolution early next month, putting an end to a decades-long violent campaign for independence from Spain, according to the region's public broadcaster.

ETA will announce the step on the first weekend of May, Basque regional broadcaster ETB reported late Wednesday. The broadcaster has in the past had access to ETA's plans. Also, the Basque newspaper Gara, which often reflects separatist views, had earlier reported that ETA would be dissolving before the summer.

ETA killed more than 800 people including police, politicians and entrepreneurs, before giving up its armed campaign for Basque independence in 2011 and getting rid of its arsenal one year ago. Its dissolution will mark the end of one of Europe's last violent nationalist conflicts.

Both France and Spain, where the group committed most of its deadly actions over more than 40 years, have demanded it take a further step and disband.

The Spanish government said ETA, which it classifies as a terrorist organization, had been defeated without achieving any of its goals.

"ETA has stopped its killing without obtaining anything and it won't obtain anything from its declaration that it is disbanding," Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido told reporters. He added that authorities will continue to investigate unresolved ETA-related cases.

ETA has been inactive since 2011, but for 20 years it dominated the news in Spain with its car bomb attacks, shootings and kidnappings.

ETB said that an event to mark the end of ETA — a Basque-language acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, meaning Basque Homeland and Freedom — will be held in southern France before the final announcement by the group. </s> MADRID (AP) - A regional public broadcaster says the Basque militant group ETA is ready to announce its final dissolution early next month, putting an end to decades of violent campaign for independence from Spain.

ETA killed more than 800 people including police, politicians and entrepreneurs before giving up its armed campaign for Basque independence in 2011 and getting rid of its arsenal one year ago.

Both France and Spain, where the group committed most of its deadly actions over more than 40 years, have demanded it take a further step and disband.

The Basque regional broadcaster ETB reported late on Wednesday that ETA will announce that step on the first weekend of May.

ETB said that an event to mark the end of ETA will be held in southern France before the final announcement by the group. </s> MADRID (AP) — A regional public broadcaster says the Basque militant group ETA is ready to announce its final dissolution early next month, putting an end to decades of violent campaign for independence from Spain.

ETA killed more than 800 people including police, politicians and entrepreneurs before giving up its armed campaign for Basque independence in 2011 and getting rid of its arsenal one year ago.

Both France and Spain, where the group committed most of its deadly actions over more than 40 years, have demanded it take a further step and disband.

The Basque regional broadcaster ETB reported late on Wednesday that ETA will announce that step on the first weekend of May.

ETB said that an event to mark the end of ETA will be held in southern France before the final announcement by the group. </s> Madrid: Basque separatist group ETA announced it was fully disbanding, the final step to the definitive end of its deadly decades-long independence campaign, in a letter published Wednesday.



 "ETA has decided to declare its historical cycle and functions terminated, putting an end to its journey," the group said in a letter published by Spanish online newspaper El Diario.

"ETA has completely dissolved all of its structures and declared an end to its political initiative."The letter was dated April 16 and addressed to various groups involved in recent peace efforts.A Basque regional government representative told AFP that following the letter, ETA was expected make a further direct declaration of its disbandment on Thursday, probably in a video.The letter was sent to figures such as former UN secretary general Kofi Annan to reassure them that ETA was firm in its decision to disband, the representative said.ETA cautioned in its letter that its own dissolution did not end the deeper "conflict" between the Basque Territories and the Spanish and French states.But its move marks what is expected to be the last of several key steps towards the formal break-up of the once-armed separatist group, blamed for more than 800 deaths.ETA waged a nearly four-decade campaign of bombings and shootings for an independent Basque state in northern Spain and southern France.It is classed as a terrorist organisation by the European Union as well as the Spanish and French governments.Created in 1959 at the height of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, ETA is blamed for the deaths of at least 829 people.Attacks by ETA and retaliation by Spanish state death squads traumatised Spain, peaking in the 1980s and 1990s.Weakened in recent years by the arrests of its senior leaders, ETA announced a permanent ceasefire in 2011 and began formally surrendering its arms last year.On April 20 it asked forgiveness from its victims for the first time for the "pain" caused by its decades-long campaign of violence.Victims' campaigners complained that the call for forgiveness did not extend to those the group considered legitimate targets, such as police officers and politicians.Some 300 ETA members are imprisoned in Spain, France and Portugal and up to 100 are still on the run, according to prisoners' families' group Forum Social.The group has demanded that prisoners be moved to prisons closer to their families after the end of ETA.International mediators are organising a peace conference in southwest France on May 4.(WAH) </s> Basque separatist group ETA announced it was fully disbanding, the final step to the definitive end of its deadly decades-long independence campaign, in a letter published Wednesday by a Spanish news site.

"ETA has decided to declare its historical cycle and functions terminated, putting an end to its journey," the group said in a letter published by Spanish online newspaper El Diario.

"ETA has completely dissolved all of its structures and declared an end to its political initiative."

The letter, dated April 16, marked what is expected to be the last of several key steps towards the full break-up of the group.
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A Basque regional government representative told AFP that following the letter, ETA was expected make a further direct declaration of its disbandment on Thursday, probably in a video.

The letter was sent to figures such as former UN secretary general Kofi Annan to reassure them that ETA was firm in its decision to disband, the representative said.

ETA cautioned in its letter that its own dissolution did not end the deeper "conflict" between the Basque Territories and the Spanish and French states.

But its move marks what is expected to be the last of several key steps towards the formal break-up of the once-armed separatist group, blamed for more than 800 deaths.

ETA waged a nearly four-decade campaign of bombings and shootings for an independent Basque state in northern Spain and southern France.

It is classed as a terrorist organisation by the European Union as well as the Spanish and French governments.

Created in 1959 at the height of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, it is blamed for the deaths of at least 829 people.

Attacks by ETA and retaliation by Spanish state death squads traumatised Spain, peaking in the 1980s and 1990s.

Weakened in recent years by the arrests of its senior leaders, it announced a permanent ceasefire in 2011 and began formally surrendering its arms last year.

On April 20th it asked forgiveness from its victims for the first time for the "pain" caused by its decades-long campaign of violence.

Victims' campaigners complained that the call for forgiveness did not extend to those the group considered legitimate targets, such as police officers and politicians.

Some 300 ETA members are imprisoned in Spain, France and Portugal and up to 100 are still on the run, according to prisoners' families' group Forum Social.

The group has demanded that prisoners be moved to prisons closer to their families after the end of ETA.

International mediators are organising a peace conference in southwest France on May 4th. </s> Militant group responsible for more than 800 deaths says it has ‘dissolved all its structures’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The Basque separatist group Eta, which killed more than 800 people during its 40-year terror campaign, has announced its full dissolution days after apologising to its victims and their families.



In a letter dated 16 April, but published by a Spanish online newspaper on Wednesday, the group informed Basque institutions and civil society groups that it had come to the end of its existence.

“Eta has decided to declare an end to its historical cycle and its role, thereby bringing its path to an end,” said the letter, which was obtained by eldiario.es. “Eta has completely dissolved all its structures and declared an end to its political initiative.”

The group, which abandoned its armed campaign seven years ago, said the move was part of a process intended to “bring about a new political cycle” in the Basque homeland.

“This decision ends Eta’s 60-year historical cycle,” it added. “But it does not bring an end to the conflict between the Basque homeland and Spain and France. The conflict did not begin with Eta and will not end with its dissolution.”

The letter said Basques had a new opportunity to break with the past and build a future together: “Let’s not repeat our mistakes. Let’s not let our problems fester. Doing so will only give rise to new problems.”

Eta will hold a symbolic event marking its disbandment in southern France on Friday.

Its apology last month was dismissed by victims’ groups, but hailed by the Spanish government as proof that Eta had been defeated “with the weapons of democracy and the strength of the rule of law”.

Spain’s interior minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido, reacted to the letter by promising that the police would continue hunting terrorists “wherever they may be”.

He added: “Eta members got nothing when they stopped killing and they won’t get anything by making a statement about dissolution.”

Eta, which stands for “Basque homeland and freedom”, was founded as a cultural organisation in 1959. Its aim was the establishment of an independent Basque state in northern Spain and southern France.

It took up armed struggle the following decade and, between 1968 and 2010, murdered 829 people in bombings and shootings, almost half of them civilians.

The group also targeted state security forces and in 1973 assassinated the Spanish prime minister Luis Carrero Blanco with huge car bomb.

But Eta’s disregard for civilian life left it increasingly marginalised. In 1987, it killed 21 people in a supermarket bombing in Barcelona. Six million people took to the streets in protest a decade later after it murdered Miguel Ángel Blanco, a young local politician.
Basque separatist group ETA announces its dissolution in May.