Unified National Liberation Front of Corsica
| Unified National Liberation Front of Corsica | |
|---|---|
| Fronte di Liberazione Naziunale di a Corsica Unificatu | |
 “Ribellu Flag”, a flag commonly used by Corsican nationalists and flown during FLNC-U conferences. | |
| Foundation | July 2009 |
| Dissolved | 2012 |
| Motives | to unite the feuding nationalist armed groups in Corsica |
| Ideology | Corsican nationalism |
| Allies |  FLNC-1976 |
| Opponents |  France |
| Battles and wars | Corsican conflict |
The Unified National Liberation Front of Corsica (Corsican: Fronte di Liberazione Naziunale di a Corsica Unificatu; French: Fronte de Libération Nationale de la Corse Unifié; abbreviated FLNC-U, FLNC-Unificatu, or FLNC Unifié) was a minor Corsican nationalist paramilitary organization in the Corsican conflict.
One of the many groups using the name “FLNC”, the FLNC-U emerged during a tense period of infighting between the FLNC-Union of Combatants and the FLNC-22 October. The main goal of the organization was to influence all nationalist armed groups to form a broad front and fight as one organization against the French state, an objective shared by the FLNC-1976, another splinter group.[1] The FLNC-U often held press conferences to spread their message and rarely committed armed attacks, although armed actions from the group still occurred. The FLNC-U, like other groups, also engaged in conflict with the mafia, particularly the Brise de Mer mafia.[2] The last appearance of the group was in June 2012.
History
The FLNC-U first emerged on 22 July 2009 with a car bomb attack targeting the gendarmerie office of the town of Vescovato. The attack caused no injuries, but around 20 people had been on the scene during the attack. Initially, the three largest guerrilla organizations, the FLNC-Union of Combatants, FLNC-22 October, and FLNC-1976 were all speculated to be involved in the attack.[3]
On the night of 9 August 2009, the FLNC-U held a press conference in the maquis of Corsica, rural areas of shrubland typically occupied by armed groups. Two men standing in front of the “Ribellu” flag announced the creation of the group and urged the hostilities between the armed groups to end in order to form a united front against France in order to drive them out of Corsica.[3][2]
Throughout 2009, the FLNC-U would commit 24 more attacks and then claim them in another press conference held in Ajaccio on 31 January 2010, 2 days before Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Corsica. Here, the group denounced the Corsican real-estate business and the buying out of Corsican land by wealthy people from continental France.[4]
The final FLNC-U conference occurred on 2 June 2012, claiming a series of attacks targeting France as well as the Brise de Mer mafia, denouncing Mafia involvement in the Corsican conflict.[2] The FLNC-U has not been seen since and was likely dismantled by French police.
References
- ^ "Reprise des conférences de presse clandestines du FLNC". Le Figaro (in French). 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ^ a b c "Le FLNC revendique une série d'attentats en Corse" (in French). 2012-06-02. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ^ a b "Corse Deux membres d'un FLNC unifié revendiquent l'attentat". www.corsematin.com (in French). 2009-08-10. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ^ FREQUENZA, ALTA. "Le FLNC Unifié s'exprime à la veille de la venue de Nicolas Sarkozy en Corse". www.alta-frequenza.corsica (in French). Retrieved 2025-07-24.