Trimble meets Colombian vice president over alleged IRA links

First Minister David Trimble has met with the Colombian vice president at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg to discuss matters relating to the three suspected IRA men who were arrested for allegedly training Farc guerrillas last year.

Mr Trimble confirmed that he had discussions with Francisco Santos on the fringes of the summit for sustainable development yesterday. He said that this was the first opportunity he has had to talk with the new Colombian administration, saying this "was initially a matter to make contact". But he confirmed that they had "touched on the issues of common concern", which clearly referred to alleged IRA involvement in Colombia.

The First Minister said: "We are trying to do a number of things on the margins of this as well as following the focus on sustainable development.

"In terms of the facts there isn't any doubt over the major facts about the transfer of technology by the IRA to the narco-terrorists Farc in Colombia. What is not clear are the reasons why, what it all means and what people intend to do in the future.

"That is something that the republican movement and only the republican movement can clear up and the longer they fail to tackle it, the longer there will be the difficulties over the public confidence that have been created here and elsewhere."

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly rejected this and accused Mr Trimble of "deliberately prejudicing the right to a fair trial".

He said: "For David Trimble to use this visit to promote the partisan politics of the Ulster Unionist Party and to interfere in the upcoming trial of three Irishmen in Colombia is appalling."

James Monaghan, Martin McAuley and Niall Connolly, who were arrested in Bogota in August last year, are expected to appear before a court on October 4 for a preliminary hearing over charges relating the training and equipping of Farc rebels.

If found guilty they could face around 16 years in prison.

The First Minister arrived at the summit on Saturday. He has also met with senior officers from the South African police to share views over their handling of public order offences.

And after a meeting with representatives from the Movement for Democratic Change today – the party opposing Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF ruling faction in Zimbabwe – Mr Trimble had harsh words for the country's leaders. He said Zimbabwe was "in the ghastly mess" under the "adventurism of a tyrannical president" who has pursued "crazed land policies".

(GMcG)