A South African human rights lawyer and retired judge, Mr Brian Currin, will meet opposing sides in the Drumcree marching dispute this week in the latest attempt to broker a settlement between the Portadown district Orange lodge and the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition.
A statement announcing Mr Currin's position as mediator is expected on Wednesday, five weeks before the controversial July 12th march is due to take place.
In 1998, the former Northern secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, appointed Mr Currin joint chairman of the Sentence Review Commission established under the Belfast Agreement, along with Sir John Blelloch. About 400 paramilitary prisoners in the North were released on their recommendations.
A member of the African National Congress party, Mr Currin once described the prisoner release programme as a "far more cautious one" than the one he was involved with in South Africa, where his work included overseeing the release of political prisoners before the first democratic elections.
A qualified attorney, Mr Currin works in mediation and institutional transformation. In 1994 he was appointed by President Mandela to chair a Prison Audit Committee and was involved in the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He represented both victims and those seeking amnesty in commission hearings.
In 1987 he founded the National Directorate of Lawyers for Human Rights, which he headed for eight years. He has worked in Sri Lanka, Rwanda and the Middle East on political transformation.
A spokesman for Mr Currin said: "I can confirm Judge Currin will act as a facilitator, although we had hoped this would remain confidential until he issues a statement later in the week. This is not a government initiative. The two parties made the approach to Brian Currin and he agreed to undertake the task. He was not approached by any other party. He is distanced from all parties, and that includes the government."
The spokesman added: "Also, there is no government funding for this work. But since the government has an interest in seeing this issue resolved peacefully, it knows what is happening."
Yesterday it was reported that the initiative had the backing of the British Prime Minister. Last year Mr Blair was criticised by both the Mediation Network and the chairman of the Parades Commission, Sir Alistair Graham, for hindering progress during the delicate negotiations.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Portadown district Orange lodge, Mr David Jones, last night confirmed they had received an invitation and would be attending the first meeting with Mr Currin.
Asked for his reaction to the expected announcement, Mr Jones said: "We have been along this particular avenue before and nothing was achieved. Let's just see how things progress. Time will tell."
No one from the residents' group was available for comment.