E/CN.4/1996/72/Add.3
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In late 1994, a new, basically anti-Muslim pamphlet came out and was
addressed to several security firms. It was from the self-styled “republican
forces for the liberation of France” and called for “killing, stamping out,
burning or blowing up anything that is Algerian, Arab or preaches the Jihad on
our soil”.
Among those responsible for spontaneous acts of violence are many
ultranationalists and skinheads. More rarely, groups of politicized
individuals take part, who plan their initiatives carefully and afterwards
claim responsibility, always identifying themselves by the same name. This
was the case recently of the 1987 attacks, for which Irgoun Drei claimed
responsibility, and of the 1988 attacks on the Sonacotra hostels in
Alpes-Maritimes, for which Massada claimed responsibility.
Location of acts of racism
The breakdown of racist violence by region, with two major centres in
Ile-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, is similar to the distribution
pattern of anti-Semitism:
Ile-de-France:
32 acts reported since 1991;
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur:
22 acts reported since 1991.
The Lorraine and Rhône-Alpes regions are also affected, but to a lesser
extent, with 10 and 11 acts, respectively.
In Ile-de-France, the high population density, and above all the fact
that extreme-right, nationalist and neo-Nazi organizations as well as skinhead
groups are particularly well-established there, may explain such numbers.
Essonne is the most vulnerable department in this respect.
In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the departments with the highest
incidence are Alpes-Maritimes and Bouches-du-Rhône.
The Rhône-Alpes region is marked by striking disparities: the violence
is concentrated almost entirely in Savoie and Rhône, with the other
departments only slightly concerned.
Anti-Maghrebi attacks in Corsica
This phenomenon was not really considered separately until early 1994.
Earlier research revealed 18 violent acts in 1992 against the Maghrebi
community, primarily of Moroccan origin, with one person injured. In 1993,
there were 20 such acts, with four persons injured.
In 1994 as well, 20 violent acts were reported and were, increasingly
serious (one person dead and five injured, all Moroccan):
An employee of the Ajaccio Health Department was murdered on 5 February;
A Moroccan was assaulted in Bastia and seriously injured on 9 January;