New Eta group rejects violence

Basque separatists linked to the armed group Eta have launched a new political party which has renounced violence.

The announcement in Bilbao yesterday was the culmination of an intense internal debate which concluded that the use of bombs and bullets was not an effective way to achieve Basque independence. The move had been widely expected after Eta declared a permanent ceasefire in January.

Rufi Etxeberria, the leader of the group, has now appealed to the government to legalise the as-yet-unnamed party.