INLA reiterates commitment to ceasefire

The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) marked the fifth anniversary of its ceasefire by reiterating its commitment to non-…

The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) marked the fifth anniversary of its ceasefire by reiterating its commitment to non-violent methods.

The group repeated its belief that the Belfast Agreement is a "failed and flawed" agreement and that the Northern Ireland State is "a failed political entity" but said a return to armed struggle was not a "viable alternative".

The group's statement said there was still a role for the INLA and that while it would remain "vigilant in defence of working class communities," it would not take offensive action.

The statement claimed INLA members were concentrating on politics and what it called the "day-to-day struggles of ordinary people" and it called on those it said were using the name of the INLA "as a flag of convenience" to desist.

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Referring to the political situation in the North, the group said a "squalid political deal that exchanges guns for government", was not what the republican struggle was about. It called for dialogue with other republican groups to discuss "the way forward in the new situation we all find ourselves in".The statement said the INLA had encouraged members to "actively participate in a positive manner in daily lives of working class communities," and that it has "no interests outside the liberation of the working class and the establishment of a socialist society".