Republican News · Thursday 12 September 2002

Recent IRA Initiatives

2000

1 Feb

IRA spokesperson confirms that its representative has met with the IICD three times

6 May

The IRA leadership announces that it will reinitiate its contact with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) and that it has agreed "to put in place within weeks a confidence building measure to confirm that our weapons remain secure.

26 June

The IRA gives a significant boost to the peace process with an historic and unprecedented initiative. It is revealed in a statement from Óglaigh na hÉireann that agreed international inspectors Martti Ahtisaari and Cyril Ramaphosa have been allowed inspect arms dumps belonging to the IRA.

2001

30 May

A senior IRA source confirms to An Phoblacht that international arms inspectors Cyril Ramaphosa and Martti Ahtisaari have carried out a third examination of IRA arms dumps.

8 August

The leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann confirms that "the IRA leadership has agreed a scheme with the IICD which will put IRA arms completely and verifiably beyond use".

23 October

In a move "to save the peace process and to persuade others of our genuine intentions", the IRA implements the scheme to put arms beyond use agreed with the IICD in August.

2002

8 April

The IRA confirms that it has taken another initiative to put arms beyond use. It says: "This initiative is unilateral at a time when there are those who are not fulfilling their obligations.

16 July

The IRA offers sincere apologies and condolences to the families of noncombatants it has killed and injured. The Army also acknowledges the grief and pain of the relatives of combatants on all sides.