A year since Basque armed group ETA announced ceasefire

Just a year ago, on September 5th, 2010, the Basque armed group ETA announced in a video statement that it had taken the decision to no longer employ offensive armed action.

The video showed three masked militants making a statement in Basque. The statement appeared on Basque newspaper Gara's website and was also made available to the British broadcaster BBC. Gara accompanied the video with a transcription of the statement in Basque and Spanish.

"ETA makes it known that as of some months ago it took the decision to no longer employ offensive armed actions," the statement said, suggesting it was ready to pursue a "democratic process," in trying to achieve its goals.

Since then, the left has made significant progress in distancing itself from violence, reaching its peak in the trial of the Bateragune case, when former Batasuna spokesman Arnaldo Otegi claimed that "violence was unnecessary."

On 25 September 2010, just 20 days after that first statement issued by ETA, the Agreement for a Peaceful Scenario and Democratic Solutions for the Basque Country was signed in Gernika (Basque Country) by 27 Basque political parties, trade union organisations and social bodies, in order to effectively promote the peace process and democratic solutions in the Basque Country.

On January 10th, 2010 ETA declared, via a statement released by Basque daily Gara, a permanent, general and internationally verifiable ceasefire as part of its "firm commitment" to "a lasting resolution and an end to the armed conflict".

In April 2011, ETA announced the end of extortion to Basque and Navarran businessmen. Employers' organizations in the Basque Country and Navarre received a letter by the armed group informing them of the end of the so-called "revolutionary tax".

Also in April, a French officer was wounded by suspected members of the armed Basque group ETA. The gunbattle took place in central France after a female driver failed to stop at a checkpoint and her companion opened fire at officers in pursuit. They were later arrested.

The new Basque coalition Bildu issued a statement acknowledging the shooting and insisting that ETA's ceasefire continue.

The anniversary of the end of  "offensive armed action" comes after an historic summer without any acts of street violence. However, the most expected announcement is still to come: that of a permanent end of violence.