A Cuncolta Naziunalista

A Cuncolta Naziunalista (Corsican for The Nationalist Group"), often abbreviated to ACN or CN, was a Corsican political party founded in 1987^[1] by members of the National Liberation Front of Corsica to replace their first political wing, Muvimentu Corsu per l’Autodeterminazione (the Corsican Movement for Self-Determination), which was banned earlier that year. It was led by Charles Pieri^[2] and François Santoni^[3] from 1990 until 1998, when the party became A Cuncolta Indipendentista (The Independentist Group, led by Charles Pieri). François Santoni would leave the group three months later to make Presenza Naziunale.^[4]

ACN was the most radical separatist party of the 1990s, often staging protests and riots against French rule. Their armed wing, the FLNC-Canal Historique (FLNC-Canale Storicu, FLNC-CS) was one of the most active guerrilla forces during the Corsican Years of Lead, a period of intense warfare and division between Corsican nationalists. A Cuncolta Naziunalista would go through a series of reforms to create A Cuncolta Indipendentista in 1998. ACI was formed to strengthen the demands for independence through a series of reforms. FLNC-CS guerrilla leader and ACI leader François Santoni left both organizations in 1998 due to a variety of disagreements. Santoni would go on to found Armata Corsa, an extremist paramilitary organization responsible for a number of attacks and assassinations in Corsica, and its political wing, Presenza Naziunale.^[3][4]