ELA expresses its satisfaction with ETA’s decision to embark on the disarmament process

Feb 26, 2014

ELA has expressed its satisfaction with ETA’s decision to start the inventory and sealing of its arsenals, as the essential step for the total disarmament process, under the supervision of the International Verification Commission. This decision yet again stresses the unilateral nature of the process and its irreversibility. It is likewise coherent with the aspirations and demands of our society and with the recommendations from the Social Forum.

ELA wishes to thank all the international stakeholders and people working for peace among our people. And it wishes to highlight the work carried out by the International Verification Commission. Its highly efficient work has been carried out, in our opinion, with the appropriate dose of discretion and respect for all of our country’s political and social organisations and institutions. Its work has also faced the added difficulties of the total lack of cooperation from the Spanish and French governments.

During the meeting held at the Carlton, the International Verification Commission expressly asked us to pass on the following message to Basque society: that the necessary unilateral approach is now not sufficient to tackle the phase to decommission the weaponry and that this cannot happen without the operational commitment of the Spanish and French governments.

Therefore, ELA calls on the Spanish and French governments to assume their responsibility in the disarmament process without delay: by not hindering the planned inventory and sealing work; by establishing the necessary mechanisms to complete the disarmament process, and by embarking on – as envisaged in the Aiete Declaration – “conversations to exclusively consider the consequences of the conflict".