Adams and McGuinness urge cessation
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As an Irish republican party, Sinn Féin will be guided by our aim of a
united Ireland. We will be seeking an end to British rule in Ireland
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Speaking following an Ard Chomhairle meeting in Dublin on Friday 18 July the Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams revealed that he and Martin McGuinness had
provided a detailed report and assessment to the IRA and has urged the IRA
leadership to restore its cessation of August 1994. Adams isued the following statement.
I have made it clear over the 18 months since the collapse of the peace
process that I would only approach the IRA to restore their cessation if I
was confident that their response would be positive. This, in my view,
required the reconstruction of the two pillars on which the peace process
was initially constructed.
Firstly, the commitment by the two government, to inclusive peace talks.
Given that the commitments by the previous British government to inclusive
negotiations were reneged on after the IRA cessation of August 1994, what
was needed were assurances that inclusive and meaningful negotiations would
be in place.
Specifically:
- that the negotiations would be without preconditions;
- that the negotiations would be conducted within a stated time frame;
- that the negotiations would be based on equality of treatment;
- that there would be no attempt to predetermine the outcome;
- that no outcome was precluded;
- that the negotiations would have a comprehensive agenda;
- that the decommissioning issue would not be allowed to block negotiations; and finally,
- that the negotiations would be enhanced by specified confidence building
measures with a particular focus on the equality agenda and
demilitarisation, including the issue of prisoners.
The process of obtaining detail and clarity on these issues has been
painstaking but essential.
Secondly, following intensive contacts it is clear that there is a shared
commitment to significant and substantial change, to issues of equality and
to demilitarisation on the part of Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Irish
government and Irish American opinion. In addition, I am confident that
the mistakes that were made by the former Taoiseach, John Bruton will not
be repeated and that Sinn Féin will be accorded full equality of treatment.
If the political will exists there is the potential to resolve the
conflict on the basis of an agreed and democratic peace settlement among
all the Irish people. There is an onus on the two governments, and in
particular on the British government, to demonstrate the political will
necessary. This also presents an historic challenge to the unionist
leaders because a political settlement will, of necessity, involve
fundamental and thorough-going political and constitutional change. There
will be no return to unionist domination.
As an Irish republican party, Sinn Féin will be guided by our aim of an
united Ireland. We will be seeking an end to British rule in Ireland and
we will be asserting the constitutional rights of Irish nationalists. We
will also be encouraging the Irish government and others to do likewise.
In any agreed political settlement the political allegiance of northern
nationalists must be given expression and effect.
There must, also, be immediate political action to achieve equality of
treatment and a speedy demilitarisation of the entire situation, including
the release of all those who have been imprisoned as a result of the
conflict.
The IRA leadership assured us that they would respond without delay to our
request.
The Sinn Féin leadership is also prepared, if requested, to provide a
detailed report and assessment to any other group.
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