Three Arrested in Corsica โAmidst Renewed FLNC Activity
AJACCIO, Corsica – โFrench authorities have โarrested three individuals โin Corsica as part ofโ an anti-terrorismโข examination โfollowing the reappearance of theโ Corsican nationalist group, the FLNC. The arrests, confirmed โคby the Bastia prosecutor’s office on March 1, 2024, come after the distribution of leaflets โsigned by the FLNC at a student union assemblyโฃ on February 28, 2024.
The detentions signalโข a heightened response to a resurgence of support for the clandestine association, occurring against a backdrop ofโฃ ongoing discussions regarding greaterโข autonomy for Corsica. The FLNC’s recent actions-including a call for students to “join the clandestine action”-have raised concerns about a potential escalation ofโฃ violence on theโ island, especially as they followed closely after the โsecond anniversary of Yvanโข Colonna’s death in prison and meetings between Corsican โleaders and Interior Minister Gรฉrald Darmanin.
According toโข reports, two hooded men addressed attendees of an evening event hosted by โthe pro-independence student union Ghjuventรน Indipendentista (Jeunesse independiste), while leaflets were circulated. The text within the leaflets asserted that “the FLNC remains the mainโฃ tool for the emancipation of the corsican people.”
The investigation was launched following a complaint โขfiled by the Bastia prosecutor, โJean-Philippe Navarre, focusing on potential “apology of terrorism.” The FLNC first emerged in 1976, initiating a campaign of โattacks during โa period โคknown as the “blueโฃ night.” Over theโค decades, the group has fragmentedโ and reformed, becoming a complex and elusive network.The current investigation aims to determine the extent of the FLNC’s renewedโฃ activity and prevent further destabilization of the region.