Currin creates commission to verify ETA ceasefire

The Basque Nationalist leftwing and the group of mediators led by South African lawyer Brian Currin have formed the "International Commission of Verification of Ceasefire in the Basque Country," (CIV), formed by six individuals.

The members of the CIV are Ronnie Kasrils (South Africa), Ray Kendall (UK), Chris Maccabe (UK), Ram Manikkalingam (Sri Lanka) and Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar (India), while Fleur Ravensbergen from the Netherlands will act as coordinator.

According to inside sources, the group's backers (the Basque Nationalist leftwing and the six members) have created the CIV "to respond to the needs of different elements of the Basque community."

The work to be carried out by Currin's group, known as the "International Contact Group" receives backing neither from the Spanish nor the Basque Governments, who previously rejected "verification" such as it is being proposed in this instance.

On 1st October, Spanish Home Office Minister, Antonio Camacho, said that State Security Forces had "more than enough" authority to confirm the existence of the ceasefire.

A "permanent, general and verifiable" ceasefire was announced by ETA on 10th January 2011, though the group still refused to decommissioned arms.

The newly formed group began activity on Wednesday and Thursday by meeting with a number of Basque political groups and trade unions. Its aim is to meet up periodically "with all the different possible elements of Basque society in order to share reports, ideas and projects that can deepen and ensure a credible and irreversible ceasefire, demanded by the Basque Country."

The CIV is made up of six people with international experience in peace processes and security.

Members of the Verification Commission

Ronnie Kasrils: Retired South African politician. Deputy Defence Minister (1994-1999), Minister of Water and Forestation (1999-2004) and Intelligence Minister (2004-2008).

Ray Kendall: Former member of the UK police force, Secretary General for Interpol for 15 years (1985-2000) and Ex-President of the EU’s Fraud Office.

Chris Maccabe: Formerly Political Director of the UK's Northern Ireland Office, where he was in charge for political affairs during negotiations leading up to the Northern Irish Peace Deal reached in 1998.

Ram Manikkalingam: Director of the "Dialogue Advisory Group" and a professor at the University of Amsterdam. He has worked in projects of conflict resolution, including in Iraq and Northern Ireland.

Lieutenent General Satish Nambiar is the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Indian Armed Forces. He served as Mission Chief for the UN's Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia in 1992 and 1993.

Group coordinator, Fleur Ravensbergen, works alongside Ram Manikkalingam in the "Dialogue Advisory Group".