Break cycle of oppression

The ‘Real IRA’ has called on Irish Republicans “to unite to defend the republic and to remain true to the core objectives of Republicanism”.

It also asked Republicans “to continue to reject any and all agencies that seek to legitimise the colonial [PSNI] police. We will continue to oppose this colonialism by any and all means at our disposal.”

In its New Year statement, published in Sovereign Nation, the breakaway group, referring to itself as Oglaigh na hEireann, said the Republic remained “under attack”.

The organisation said the deal almost reached last month, involving both the Provisional IRA and Ian Paisley’s DUP, “absolves both the British and the Free State from responsibility in creating and prolonging this conflict, and propagates the myth that the conflict is one between two communities rather than an issue of national sovereignty. We firmly reject this notion.”

The RIRA, which broke away from the mainstream republican movement in recent years, said the root cause of the conflict was Britain’s illegal sovereign claim over a part of the Irish nation.

“The Free State and the constitutional nationalist parties in the north are also a part of the problem given their failure to address this issue either in negotiations or at an international level,” the statement read.

“Continued failure to address this issue will condemn the Irish people to a cycle of oppression/domination/resistance/oppression. It is now time to break that cycle.

The RIRA again called for Britain to publicly declare its intent to withdraw its political and military machine from Ireland.

“We believe that this will remove the biggest obstacle to true democracy and will restore the fundamental right of the Irish people to national self-determination. Then and only then will the people of Ireland, whatever persuasion, be free to settle their internal political affairs without the poison of external political interference.”

Urgent Appeal