3 September 1998 Edition
New proposal to end Basque conflict
By Soledad Galiana
Herri Batasuna, the Basque independentist party, has presented a new document to be discussed by political parties, trade unions and lobby groups. The document - entitled National Agreement - aims to open a debate in the Basque society that could reach a democratic solution to the Basque conflict.
The principal points of the document are self-determination, unity of the Basque Country and a democratic solution to the actual conflict.
Joseba Permach, co-ordinator of the Herri Batasuna, describes the document as ``historic'' and highlighted the contacts that the party has established with the nationalist parties, PNV and EA. ``We do not want future generations living the political and armed conflict that Basques are experiencing today,'' he said. Permach called on the whole of Basque society - and especially those who believe that ``the solution to the problems of Euskal Herria (Basque Country) must be achieved by the Basque people'' - to ``participate in the debate and to focus their efforts to reach a consensus''.
Meanwhile the current high level of repression against Basques continued on Tuesday when French police arrested 15 Basque refugees. The arrested were well known for their links with Basque independence and are being accused of organising ETA's infrastructure in French territory.
The major operation was carried out by Custom police and the General Department Against Terrorism (DNA) on the orders of judge Laurent Le Vert and took place in different towns of the North Basque country.
Gestoras Po-Amnistia, a Basque organisation which supports Basque political prisoners, refugees and deportees, expressed their opposition to this new repressive action against Basque political refugees. ``After the operations carried out in Iparralde against the youth organization Gazteriak, the association in support of the Basque political prisoners Gureak, what has happened with these historical political refugees reveal that the French government is following the strategy of `anything goes' against the Basque Country, initiated by the Popular Party (PP) in the Spanish State''.
Demonstrations have been called throughout the Basque Country in support of the 15 Basque refugees.
Open way to Fujimori's re-election
Supporters of the Peruvian President, Alberto Fujimori, in the country's Congress defeated a motion that called for a referendum so the citizens could decide if they wanted ``the Chinese'' (as he is nicknamed, even though he is of Japanese descent) to be allowed to stand in the elections in the year 2000.
The motion, presented by Democratic Forum, the opposition to Fujimori's government, and supported by 73% of the citizenship, was defeated by 48 votes to 45, after nearly 13 hours of debate. Police confronted demonstrators opposed to Fujimori outside the Congress, while inside the elected representatives engaged in fist fighting.
Although the Peruvian Constitution limits to two the number of consecutive presidential mandates, there will now be no obstacle to Fujimori standing for a third election after the Congress decision. This is based on the so-called Law for the Authentic Interpretation of the Constitution, approved by the Congress in 1996, which established that Fujimori could go for a second election because only one of his mandates took place under the new constitution of 1993.
Henry Pease, representative for the Union por el Peru (UPP), party member of Democratic Forum announced that the coalition has decided to present a complaint to the Organisation of American States' Human Rights Commission.
Congo's rebellion brings ethnic cleansing
The new move of Kabila's government to reinforce its position has increased the instability of a region devastated by war. Most of Congo's neighbouring countries have been directly or indirectly involved in the latest conflict whose end is witnessing the beginning of new ethnic cleansing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire.
Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola are the five countries directly involved in the latest armed conflict in the DRC. Former allies, Rwanda and Uganda, countries that actively collaborated in Kabila's victory against former president Mobutu Sese Seko have seen their position reversed, becoming now enemy's of Kabila's regime.
Rwanda and Uganda trained troops and actively supported Kabila on his seven months campaign that won him the presidency of Zaire. But unknown to his allies, Kabila was engaged in the creation of his own army, which was formed by the rebel Rwandans, and in talks with the Sudanese government that supports Ugandan rebels.
Now, Kabila's government accuses Rwanda and Uganda of promoting the rebellion within the Tutsi minority settled in South Kivu, the same area from where the war against Mobutu was launched. Tutsis rose when Kabila demanded they all leave Congo after his request for more Rwandan troops to be sent to Kinshasa was refused last month. When the Rwandan army moved in to help the rebels, only the involvement of Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola saved the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo from the rebel forces.
Kabila played the card of ethnic threat to involve Namibia and Zinbabwe in the conflict. And this is the main danger that the region of Central Africa is facing, the existing ethnic inequalities created by colonial policies that today cause conflict and genocide. Although the war is not over, in Kinshasa the ethnic cleansing has already started.
Herri Batasuna, the Basque independentist party, has presented a new document to be discussed by political parties, trade unions and lobby groups. The document - entitled National Agreement - aims to open a debate in the Basque society that could reach a democratic solution to the Basque conflict.
The principal points of the document are self-determination, unity of the Basque Country and a democratic solution to the actual conflict.
Joseba Permach, co-ordinator of the Herri Batasuna, describes the document as ``historic'' and highlighted the contacts that the party has established with the nationalist parties, PNV and EA. ``We do not want future generations living the political and armed conflict that Basques are experiencing today,'' he said. Permach called on the whole of Basque society - and especially those who believe that ``the solution to the problems of Euskal Herria (Basque Country) must be achieved by the Basque people'' - to ``participate in the debate and to focus their efforts to reach a consensus''.
Meanwhile the current high level of repression against Basques continued on Tuesday when French police arrested 15 Basque refugees. The arrested were well known for their links with Basque independence and are being accused of organising ETA's infrastructure in French territory.
The major operation was carried out by Custom police and the General Department Against Terrorism (DNA) on the orders of judge Laurent Le Vert and took place in different towns of the North Basque country.
Gestoras Po-Amnistia, a Basque organisation which supports Basque political prisoners, refugees and deportees, expressed their opposition to this new repressive action against Basque political refugees. ``After the operations carried out in Iparralde against the youth organization Gazteriak, the association in support of the Basque political prisoners Gureak, what has happened with these historical political refugees reveal that the French government is following the strategy of `anything goes' against the Basque Country, initiated by the Popular Party (PP) in the Spanish State''.
Demonstrations have been called throughout the Basque Country in support of the 15 Basque refugees.
Open way to Fujimori's re-election
Supporters of the Peruvian President, Alberto Fujimori, in the country's Congress defeated a motion that called for a referendum so the citizens could decide if they wanted ``the Chinese'' (as he is nicknamed, even though he is of Japanese descent) to be allowed to stand in the elections in the year 2000.
The motion, presented by Democratic Forum, the opposition to Fujimori's government, and supported by 73% of the citizenship, was defeated by 48 votes to 45, after nearly 13 hours of debate. Police confronted demonstrators opposed to Fujimori outside the Congress, while inside the elected representatives engaged in fist fighting.
Although the Peruvian Constitution limits to two the number of consecutive presidential mandates, there will now be no obstacle to Fujimori standing for a third election after the Congress decision. This is based on the so-called Law for the Authentic Interpretation of the Constitution, approved by the Congress in 1996, which established that Fujimori could go for a second election because only one of his mandates took place under the new constitution of 1993.
Henry Pease, representative for the Union por el Peru (UPP), party member of Democratic Forum announced that the coalition has decided to present a complaint to the Organisation of American States' Human Rights Commission.
Congo's rebellion brings ethnic cleansing
The new move of Kabila's government to reinforce its position has increased the instability of a region devastated by war. Most of Congo's neighbouring countries have been directly or indirectly involved in the latest conflict whose end is witnessing the beginning of new ethnic cleansing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire.
Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola are the five countries directly involved in the latest armed conflict in the DRC. Former allies, Rwanda and Uganda, countries that actively collaborated in Kabila's victory against former president Mobutu Sese Seko have seen their position reversed, becoming now enemy's of Kabila's regime.
Rwanda and Uganda trained troops and actively supported Kabila on his seven months campaign that won him the presidency of Zaire. But unknown to his allies, Kabila was engaged in the creation of his own army, which was formed by the rebel Rwandans, and in talks with the Sudanese government that supports Ugandan rebels.
Now, Kabila's government accuses Rwanda and Uganda of promoting the rebellion within the Tutsi minority settled in South Kivu, the same area from where the war against Mobutu was launched. Tutsis rose when Kabila demanded they all leave Congo after his request for more Rwandan troops to be sent to Kinshasa was refused last month. When the Rwandan army moved in to help the rebels, only the involvement of Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola saved the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo from the rebel forces.
Kabila played the card of ethnic threat to involve Namibia and Zinbabwe in the conflict. And this is the main danger that the region of Central Africa is facing, the existing ethnic inequalities created by colonial policies that today cause conflict and genocide. Although the war is not over, in Kinshasa the ethnic cleansing has already started.