Governments must fulfil commitments - IRA

The Irish and British governments must fulfil commitments they have made to the peace process or there can be "little prospect…

The Irish and British governments must fulfil commitments they have made to the peace process or there can be "little prospect of any progress", the IRA has warned.

In its annual 'Easter message' to be published in An Phoblachttomorrow, the paramilitary group said that "agreements were made and commitments given" last October.

"The leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party and the two governments did not fulfil theirs. They acted in bad faith. Yet again the two governments are attempting to move the goalposts. This has caused justifiable anger. It is unacceptable that other protagonists should try to dictate the terms of our cessation.

"The honouring of agreements and commitments is critical in instilling confidence and demonstrating that politics can work. They are essential elements of building an enduring political process," the statement said. "The two governments, and in particular the British Government, must fulfil their commitments. Until they do so there can be little prospect of any progress."

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In the statement signed 'P. O'Neill', the IRA said that throughout the 10 years of its cessation there had been "very serious provocation from British securocrats, their military forces and their allies in unionist paramilitarism".

It said that in the same period, others within the British and Irish establishments had "persisted with the idea of defeating republicans rather than moving forward". IRA guns "remain silent" despite an "onslaught of unionist paramilitary violence against Catholics, including hundreds of attacks and a number of killings over the last year".

The IRA also said there was now an attempt to "criminalise and demonise republicans" for "selfish electoral reasons" and that this would fail.