Statement concerning ETA’s announced disbandment

The ICIP welcomes ETA’s disbandment, confirmed at the Kanbo international conference, in the French Basque Country. This move puts an end to the terrorist organization’s 60 years of existence and opens the door to the possibility of genuine peacebuilding after decades of conflict.
The renunciation of violence as a means to achieve political goals is undoubtedly a triumph of peace. However, positive peace goes beyond the absence of violence and demands the advancement of coexistence based on respect for freedoms, human rights and social justice. The road to a comprehensive peace is long and not without obstacles, and that is why it is essential that the various actors in the conflict continue working to overcome the damage caused by decades of violence and social rupture.
In this sense, we call on Basque society as a whole and on its institutions, as well as on the institutions of the Spanish and French governments, to make every effort necessary to achieve a full reconciliation based on respect and dialogue. It is everyone’s responsibility to take advantage of this historic opportunity to move forward along the desired path. ETA’s disbandment and its prior disarmament were prerequisites for addressing this peace process successfully, but the construction of a collective memory of the conflict, with a narrative that respects and includes the victims, is also necessary. Thus there is still some way to go to overcome so many years of political and social conflict conclusively and effectively.
ICIP has always advocated the need to use peaceful means to achieve political goals and resolve conflicts. The present announcement of ETA’s disbandment is confirmation of the path chosen by Basque society to face the transformation of the conflict through dialogue.