| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Eta 'will not lay down arms' |
| 2006-09-25 |
| Eta, the Basque separatist group, says it will not lay down its arms until the region obtains full independence from Spain, sparking concerns over its six month ceasefire with the government. Three masked Eta members read out a statement on Saturday night at a pro-Eta rally saying the group "confirms its commitment to continue to fight... until independence and socialism for the Basque country is won," local media reported. "The fight is not a thing of the past. It is the present and the future," the group said. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain's prime minister, said in a speech on Sunday that Eta and its supporters should reject violence and "engage in politics and nothing more than politics". Eta has been fighting a bitter battle for a separate Basque homeland for more than 40 years, killing more than 800 people. It announced its ceasefire in March this year. |
| Posted by:Fred |