The FLNC-Canal Historique (Corsican: Canale Storicu; abbreviated FLNC-CS) was an armed paramilitary and guerrilla organization created in 1990 from a split within the command structure of the original FLNC. The organization was created to be a radically militant force, rejecting the idea of ceasefire with the French government. During Corsica's “Lead Years”, a violent period of intense guerrilla warfare in the 1990s, the FLNC-CS was the most violent and active organization, engaging in intense conflict with both the French government and armed forces, but also with other nationalist organizations, engaging in a war with Alain Orsoni’s FLNC-Canal Habituel (Canale Abituale, FLNC-CA).[1] In 1999, The FLNC-CS became one of the founding members of the FLNC-Union of Combattants,[2] a guerrilla organization which remains active today following the end of a nine-year long ceasefire.[3]
| FLNC-Canal Historique | |
|---|---|
| FLNC-Canale Storicu | |
 Flag of Corsica with an FLNC wordmark at the bottom, used often during FLNC-CS press conferences | |
| Leaders | Charles Pieri, François Santoni |
| Dates of operation | 25 November 1990 - 23 December 1999 |
| Split from | National Liberation Front of Corsica (1976-1999) |
| Merged into | FLNC-Union of Combattants |
| Country | Corsica (France) |
| Motives | To establish an independent Corsican state |
| Active regions | Attacks across Corsica and in mainland France, Italy |
| Allies |
|
| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | Corsican conflict |
The FLNC-CS formed after a 2-year long dissident campaign within the FLNC, during with brigade leaders and individual divisions of the FLNC began to separate due to their views of the 1988 ceasefire as “illegitimate”.[4] On 25 November 1990, the town of Borgo was invaded, and in the same day during the occupation the dissident militants declared the creation of the “Historic Channel” (Corsican: Canale Storicu; French: Canal Historique) of the FLNC.[1] One month earlier, the “Habituel Channel” (FLNC-Canale Abituale, FLNC-CA) was formed out of the dissolution of the brigade council and Orsoni’s seizure of power.[1] These two groups would be engaged in a drawn out civil war until the dissolution of the FLNC-CA in 1997. In 1996, the FLNC-CS would begin to lose footing to Fronte Ribellu, a group that split from the FLNC-CS, and the FLNC-5 May (FLNC-5 Maghju, FLNC-5M), a split of the FLNC-CA dedicated to remaining militant against the FLNC-CS in the face of a “inevitable” FLNC-CA disarming campaign.[5] In 1999, the FLNC-CS southern division leader François Santoni split from the organization to form Armata Corsa, a hyper-militant organization that carried out a large number of assassinations and organized attacks on the FLNC-CS and other guerrillas as well as French authorities. On 23 December 1999, the FLNC-CS, Fronte Ribellu, the FLNC-5M, and a small organization called Clandestinu formed the FLNC-Union of Combattants to better organize against both Armata Corsa and the French.[1]
1988-1990: Dissident Campaign
editIn May 1988, the FLNC announced a permanent cease on military operations in order to negotiate with the French. Internally, this was a highly controversial decision and it immediately led to the breakup of the FLNC. Several high-ranking officials and division leaders, such as Jean-Michel Rossi (Balagne), François Santoni (Gravona), and Charles Pieri (Borgo-Lucciana) withdrew their brigades from the FLNC and began a campaign against the organization from 1988 to 1989.[4] Further dissident splits followed, including an insurrectionary movement in Ajaccio led by Roger Polverelli,[6] and the followers of the anti-ceasefire movement earned the name “Historicals” (Storichi), likely due to their strong attachment to the hardline militancy of the original FLNC. However, it is important to note that some anti-ceasefire activists did not identify with the Storichi movement and formed their own organizations, like Resistenza or the National Liberation Army of Corsica (Armata di Liberazione Naziunale di a Corsica, ALNC). In 1990, after Alain Orsoni took over the organization and declared the FLNC-CA, the “Storichi” only gained more influence. On 25 November, a band of Storichi invaded the town of Borgo and occupied it. The same day, in the occupied town, the “Borgo declaration” declared the new FLNC-CS.[1]
1990-1996: “Years of Lead” - FLNC Civil War
editThe 1990s saw a wave of bombings, ambushes, raids, assassinations, and other forms of guerrilla warfare targeted at both the FLNC-CS, FLNC-CA, and France. The large amount earned the era the name “Years of Lead”,[1] much like the one in neighbouring Italy.
In 1991 , shortly after the formation of the FLNC-CS, the rival FLNC-CA was quick to denounce the militant formation of the organization. In March 1991, the FLNC-CA held a meeting in which many high-ranking officials attended where they announced a halt on actions against the French government in order to focus on targeting and dismantling the FLNC-CS.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "#corse StoriaCorsa 1990 « FLNC Canal Historique, Canal Habituel, Resistenza, Cuncolta, MPA, ANC… » -" (in French). 3 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "#corse StoriaCorsa 1999 « Les Accords de paix de Migliacciaru » -" (in French). 7 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "Le FLNC rend hommage, met en garde et revendique dans une nouvelle communication". www.corsematin.com (in French). 21 March 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ a b "#corse StoriaCorsa 1988 « Motion Peuple Corse déposée par A Cuncolta à l'Assemblée » -" (in French). 2 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ "#corse StoriaCorsa 1996 « Tralonca 600 militants du FLNC canal Historique » -" (in French). 6 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ "#corse StoriaCorsa 1989 « Le FLNC propose un projet de société » -" (in French). 2 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2024.