14/04/2003

Governments await clarification from IRA

The British and Irish governments are awaiting a third statement from the IRA to clarify its position on giving up arms and declaring its war over.

An announcement on "acts of completion", and the future shape of the peace process, had been expected to have been made by Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at Hillsborough last Thursday. However, the declaration was postponed after the response from the IRA was thought not to go far enough. And with deadlock reigning over the blueprint document, the two governments demanded clarity from the IRA over how and when it would disarm.

Over the weekend, it was reported that a modified statement was sent to both governments – but whilst the document was described as "progress", again, its contents were thought, particularly by Downing Street, to be insufficient to move on.

Both Blair and Ahern have maintained that they are confident that this latest hiccup in the Northern Ireland peace process can be overcome. However, a breakthrough will have to arrive soon if the May 29 assembly elections are to go ahead as planned.

(GMcG)

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