National Liberation Front of Corsica | |
---|---|
Fronte di liberazione naziunale di a Corsica Front de libération nationale corse | |
![]() The FLNC has frequently used a Corsican flag along with their wordmark in sans-serif letters. In photo shoots, they will usually feature a Corsican flag in the background, along with a table, draped in white cloth with their wordmark prominently displayed. | |
Dates of operation | c. 1974 – active |
Active regions | Corsica, France French mainland |
Ideology | Corsican nationalism Anti-Imperialism Anti-Colonialism Marxism |
Opponents |
●![]() |
Battles and wars | Corsican conflict |
The National Liberation Front of Corsica (Corsican: Fronte di liberazione naziunale di a Corsica or Fronte di liberazione naziunale corsu; French: Front de libération nationale corse, abbreviated FLNC) is a militant group that advocates an independent state on the island of Corsica, separate from France. The organisation was primarily present in Corsica and less so on the French mainland. A Conculta Naziunalista was often considered to be the political wing of the organisation.[1]
Typical militant acts by the FLNC were bombings aimed at public buildings, banks, tourist infrastructure, military buildings and other perceived French symbols, in addition to aggravated assault against civilians, armed bank robbery, and extortion against private enterprises through so-called "revolutionary taxes". The attacks were usually performed against buildings and the island's infrastructures, but it was also not uncommon for the FLNC to have individual people as targets, such as Claude Érignac who was killed in 1998.
The FLNC was created from a merger of Ghjustizia Paolina and the Fronte Paesanu Corsu di Liberazione, the two largest Corsican armed organizations. It was an offshoot of the political party A Cuncolta Independentista which had members in the Corsican Assembly and some support among the locals.
The FLNC carried out its first attacks on the night of 4 May 1976 with 21 bombs exploding in Ajaccio, Bastia, Sartène, Porto-Vecchio and other Corsican towns.[2] The majority of the targets were public buildings and offices of civil servants. On 5 May the FLNC formally announced its existence when it issued a bilingual manifesto which also claimed responsibility for the previous night's attacks.
The manifesto contained six demands:[3]
In 2014,[4] the organisation announced the cessation of its armed struggle, which they confirmed again in 2016.[5] Nevertheless, a number of minor splinter groups have so far emerged and are still active.[6][7][8] The FLNC warned in 2016 that any attacks on Corsica by ISIL will be met with swift retaliation.[9]
See also: Corsican conflict |