Ex-Corsican Separatist Leader Gunned Down at Mother's Funeral

Former Corsican nationalist leader Alain Orsoni was shot and killed on January 11. The attack occurred during his mother's funeral in Corsica. He was 71 years old. Orsoni was a key figure in the Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) during the 1980s. The FLNC was a group that used violence to seek independence from France. He later founded and led the Movement for Self-Determination (MPA), another political group. He also served as president of the professional soccer club AC Ajaccio. Orsoni left Corsica in 1996 following internal conflicts within the nationalist movement. He lived in exile for several years before returning to the island.