In France, former Corsican nationalist leader shot dead during mother's funeral

Alain Orsoni. Photo: Olivier SANCHEZ/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Orsoni participated in the Corsican national movement from a young age. After studying in Paris, he returned to Corsica and became one of the leaders of the Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) — an underground armed group formed in 1976.

In 1980, Orsoni was among those who opened fire on gendarmes near the Iranian embassy in Paris. After his arrest, he was amnestied in 1981, when socialists who sought reconciliation came to power in France.

In 1983, Alain's younger brother Guy Orsoni, also one of the FLNC leaders, was killed. Opponents accused the authorities of political motives, but investigators believe it was related to organized crime. After this, several revenge killings took place in Corsica, including in 1984 when two members of the group were killed by an FLNC unit directly in Ajaccio prison.

In the 1990s, the FLNC split, and a bloody conflict began among Corsican nationalists. In 1996, Alain Orsoni left Corsica. He first moved to Florida, and then to Nicaragua, where, according to French authorities, he managed a network of casinos, restaurants, and slot machines.

After 13 years abroad, he returned to Corsica in 2008. A few weeks later, police foiled an assassination attempt on him, and in 2011, several members of the rival group Petit Bar were convicted in this case.

In October 2012, Orsoni's lawyer Antoine Sollacaro was killed, and a month later, another close associate, Jacques Nacer, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Southern Corsica, was also killed.

From 2008, Alain Orsoni managed the Ajaccio football club intermittently until his official retirement in 2023, but he was involved in the club's affairs until the summer of 2025. In August 2025, the club was declared bankrupt. An investigation into Orsoni was underway on suspicion of extortion, fraud, and document forgery.

Alain Orsoni's son Guy, whom he named after his murdered brother, is currently serving a prison sentence.

The circumstances and motives of the attack on Alain Orsoni are currently being investigated. A case has been opened concerning a murder committed by an organized criminal group. Gilles Simeoni, President of the Executive Council of Corsica, expressed his condolences to the relatives of "a prominent figure in the modern history of Corsican nationalism, both in its bright and dark aspects," stating that this new murder is a sign of "mafia pressure weighing heavily on Corsican society."

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