Unionists to increase pressure on FARC

The Ulster Unionist Party will encourage the United States to investigate alleged links between Irish republicans and Revolutionary…

The Ulster Unionist Party will encourage the United States to investigate alleged links between Irish republicans and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels in Colombia, when a delegation visits next Washington next month.

As talks between the Colombian government and the left-wing rebel group collapsed yesterday, an already antagonistic United States will be urged to examine the capture of three Irishmen said to be trading information on terrorist techniques with FARC.

Mr Niall Connolly, Mr James Monaghan and Mr Martin McCauley are being held by the Colombian government on charges of training FARC guerrillas.

All three are being held under investigative detention in a high-security military prison in Bogota, and are due to be either released or charged by the end of February.

READ MORE

The American Congress has launched an investigation into their activities but Sinn Féin has called for their immediate release, claiming there is no evidence against them.

Although the Unionist pressure will create further difficulties for FARC following the collapse of talks with the Colombian government, President Mr Andres Pastrana offered an opportunity for a resumption.

He said FARC rebels had 24 hours to vacate a demilitarised zone in the country's south, but that a chance to rescue the three-year-old peace talks remained.

In a televised address to the nation, Mr Pastrana said the FARC's three-month- old insistence on relaxing military controls around their southern enclave meant that progress on substantive issues such as a ceasefire was impossible.

Hours before the speech, a FARC spokesman angrily denied rebels had walked away from peace talks.

Addiitonal repoorting by: