Adams urges Eta to give peace another chance

Gerry Adams today urged the Spanish government and the Basques to do everything in their power to put their peace process back on track.

The Sinn Féin leader issued the appeal after the Basque separatist group Eta declared an end to its latest ceasefire from midnight tonight, blaming Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero.

The West Belfast MP, who visited Madrid and the Basque country last year to encourage both sides to develop their process of conflict resolution, expressed disappointment at the latest development.

“Everyone who has been involved in attempting to get a viable peace process operating in the Basque country is disappointed at the breakdown in the process over recent months and today’s announcement from Eta ending its ceasefire,” he said.

“However, the lessons of the Irish peace process and indeed every conflict resolution process throughout the world tells us that it is now important to redouble efforts to put the process there back on track.

“All sides should show restraint and do everything in their power to ensure that a process is put in place which can allow this conflict to be resolved peacefully through genuine dialogue and engagement.”

Eta declared a permanent ceasefire in March 2006.

However, a bomb attack which killed two people at Madrid airport in December was blamed on the organisation and the Spanish socialist government broke off peace talks.

In a statement sent to two Basque newspapers, Eta said it would be “active on all fronts to defend the Basque homeland”.

Eta blamed Mr Zapatero for the breakdown of its ceasefire, saying the government had responded to its ceasefire last year by pursuing detentions, torture and persecution.