Corsican Separatist Group Claims Responsibility for Blast in France
A Corsican separatist group claimed responsibility Monday for a bomb that heavily damaged Bordeaux’s City Hall. Prime Minister Alain Juppe--who is the mayor of Bordeaux--vowed to dismantle the group.
Known by its French acronym, FLNC, the Corsican group issued a one-line statement reading: “Claim: Attack city hall of Bordeaux 10/5/96. FLNC.”
The bomb--which sources said contained 2.2 pounds of dynamite--destroyed several rooms of the building late Saturday night. No one was injured.
Juppe ordered increased protection for “sensitive sites in Paris and several big cities.”
The FNLC is one of several Corsican separatist groups active since the mid-1970s. It demands wider official recognition of the Corsican language and more autonomy for the Mediterranean island, which is part of France.
Some Corsican separatist leaders have accused Juppe of impeding government negotiations aimed at pacifying the separatists, who have mostly restricted themselves to attacks on the island.
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