Separatist group ETA begins its cease-fire in Spain

A cease-fire that ends nearly four decades of violence by the armed Basque separatist group ETA came into force Friday just after the stroke of midnight, ushering in a new era of hope for Spain after decades of bombings and assassinations.

Photo: Separatist group ETA begins its cease-fire in Spain

Though ETA has called truces before, this is the first to include "permanent" in the wording.

Streets around Spain were quiet, with no celebrations reported, despite the historic nature of the cessation of violence that began right after midnight.

"It is possible to overcome the conflict, here and now," ETA said Thursday in the second of two communiques explaining its desire to use negotiations to end nearly 40 years of strife that have claimed more than 800 lives.

"It is time to make important decisions, moving from words to deeds," ETA said in a statement handed out to Basque newspaper Gara.

The group urged the French and Spanish governments not to thwart the groundbreaking process launched by its decision to lay down arms after nearly four decades of bombings and shootings that have claimed more than 800 lives and made ETA one of Europe's last armed militant groups.

Meanwhile the Spanish attorney general's official said it wants prosecutors to seek the jailing of a Basque separatist leader, backtracking amid criticism for suggesting judges perhaps go easy on him now that ETA has declared a cease-fire.

Attorney General Attorney General Candido Conde-Pumpido had said last week he wanted prosecutors to seek the jailing of Basque separatist leader Arnaldo Otegi on grounds he violated bail terms in an ETA-related case by allegedly inciting violence in a strike in the Basque region on March 9, reports CNN.

I.L.