DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) in the Basque case: feasibility and opportunity took place on Wednesday at the Carlos Santamaria Hall of the UPV/EHU in San Sebastián, organized by the Permanent Social Forum. The program director of the Berghof Foundation, Veronique Dudouet, has published the conclusions of the conference organized by the Permanent Social Forum on the occasion of the anniversary of the disarmament of ETA in recent days.

“A clear demobilization will facilitate the recognition of the credibility of the institutions to allow the transition from a unilateral process to a dialogue, not only with the Basque institutions, but also with the Spanish Government, to untie the ties that hinder an inclusive solution to the Basque conflict,” said Veronique Dudouet Berghof.

At the Social Forum, it was stressed that the disarmament of ETA was carried out in compliance with the principles of the DDR, although they did so without agreement with the Government of Spain. They also conclude that demobilization can be done as much as possible, provided that “the general principles enshrined in international standards are respected.”

At the Social Forum, it has been said that demobilization must be carried out with credibility, that is, to ensure that all members of the group agree on demobilization. In relation to this, and as Naiz received it at the end of February, ETA concluded after the last reflection that its “cycle is exhausted” and that they would “support the strengthening of the political process”.

During the meeting in San Sebastián, foreign conflicts were reported: The representatives of Colombia, Northern Ireland, the Philippines and the Democratic Republic of the Congo bring their experiences and compare them with those of the Basque Country.

Kristian Herbolzheimer, director of the Conciliation Resources Foundation’s Peace Programme, gives examples from abroad. For the case, he said that in Colombia, it is “unthinkable” for the FARC to lay down their arms. Addressing the conflict in the Basque Country, he highlighted that the Spanish Government has not met the objectives of the DDR process: “Build trust, avoid a future resurgence of conflict and foster friendship.” On the contrary, the Spanish State has expressed its support for the “ADSD” process: “disarmament, demobilization, denunciation and repentance.”