Basque Conflict (1959 - 2011)

Since 1959, the Basque National Liberation Movement, with the separatist group Euskadi Ta Askata-suna (ETA) being the most important armed group, engaged the Spanish and French governments in a political and armed conflict in an attempt to gain independence in the Basque region. Known as Europe's longest running war, the conflict killed over a 1,000. Peace talks were not formally held until 1989, but fell through and violence resumed until another ceasefire was announced by ETA in 1996. Successive Spanish governments rejected talks with ETA until 1998, nonetheless the Spanish government refused to discuss any demands for independence. However, when the government prematurely blamed ETA for the Madrid train bombing in 2004, the conservative government lost to the socialist party who began peace talks. In 2006 ETA announced another ceasefire, and talks continued into 2007 despite the explosion of a car bomb at Madrid airport in 2007. The end of negotiations in 2007 led to an intensified crackdown on ETA by the Spanish government. In 2010, ETA announced an end to armed conflict after intense crackdowns. An international peace conference held in October 2011 resulted in a plea for ETA to renounce violence. Since then violence has ceased. ETA’s official disarmament began in April 2017 and formal disbandment of the group was finalized in May 2018.