BIG and Nazione, organization fighting for Corsican independence, ink memo

A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) and the Nazione Movement, which is fighting for Corsica's independence, on May 13 in Rome, within the framework of the thematic conference "National identity, resistance and sovereignty: Perspectives for Corsica," Report informs.

According to the document, the BIG and Nazione agreed to cooperate in the fight against colonialism and neo-colonialism and in the protection of human rights. To this end, the parties will implement joint initiatives. In addition, the BIG and Nazione agreed to take joint steps on international platforms.

The conference was attended by leaders and authorized representatives of the Nazione Movement, as well as Tural Ganjaliyev, a member of the Corsican People Support Group operating in the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis.

The event began a year ago, on May 13, 2024, with the commemoration of the Kanaks who were killed in Kanaki (New Caledonia) by French law enforcement agencies and illegal militias supported by them.

The executive director of the BIG, Abbas Abbasov, stated that the organization he leads supports the legitimate struggle of the Kanak, Corsican and other peoples living under colonization, and spoke about the work done in this regard.

During the conference, members of the Nazione Movement talked about the main challenges faced by the Corsican people, who suffered from French colonial policies - the policy of the French government's deliberate assimilation of the Corsican national identity and the Corsican language, as well as the facts of economic and social discrimination they face.

Chilianu Begliomini, head of the youth section of the Nazione Movement, dedicated his speech to the Corsican language, which plays a major role in the national identity of the Corsican people, and echoed the opinion of the Corsican writer Lisandro Bassani that "the Corsican language is the temple of the national identity of the Corsican people." He emphasized that the desire of the Corsican people to speak their native language was prevented by colonial France, and noted that international mechanisms were being used to draw the attention of the international community to this issue.

Thierry Casolasco and Jean-Philippe Antolini, members of the Nazione Movement, spoke about the resistance of the Corsican people and said that if the situation continues like this, the Corsican people, which has a thousand years of history, will be erased from history. In this regard, they spoke about the attempts to assassinate those who fought for the independence of the Corsican people through unofficial groups (Barbouzard) operating on the island at the behest of the French law enforcement agencies, and the fact that the employees of that service were awarded medals.

Francois Benedetti, head of the international branch of the Nazione Movement, referred to the Constitution of independent Corsica of 1755 and recalled the phrase "The Corsican people, who are their own legitimate owners..." Noting that the island was occupied by France in 1769, he emphasized that the desire of the Corsican people to restore their independence is not a subject of discussion and that the Nazione Movement will continue its struggle in this regard.

He stated that the main goal at the moment is to include Corsica in the UN list of territories that need to be decolonized and asked for support from the BIG in this regard.

Tural Ganjaliyev, a member of the Corsican People Support Group operating in the Milli Majlis, spoke about the historical aspects of the occupation of Corsica, as well as the island's statehood traditions, and emphasized that the Corsican people deserve independence. He invited Corsican deputies to Azerbaijan and expressed their readiness for cooperation.