Sir, - President Mandela's offer of assistance, generously made during President Robinson's visit to South Africa, to help resolve the conflict in the North, should be speedily taken up by John Bruton and his Government. With the current uncertainty and despondency worsened by the holding of an unnecessary, divisive sectarian head count, the establishment of an internal assembly to exclude any all Ireland dimension, the imposition of preconditions to negotiations, the failure to even minimally reform the RUC and the cruel treatment of Irish prisoners, especially of dying cancer victim, Patrick Kelly, there is an urgent need to avail of assistance offered by those who have been through a similar conflict resolution experience. Of particular relevance at this time was President Mandela's suggestion that no party should be excluded from dialogue. Even while the violence was at its worst in South Africa, Mr Mandela and Mr de Clerk persisted with talks. It is most disappointing, then, that Mr Bruton stubbornly refuses to talk to those Sinn Fein leaders who are trying to restore the peace process and thus gives the British government an excuse to do the same. This is totally inconsistent as neither government had any difficulty in meeting PUP councillor, Hugh Smith, when he was Lord Mayor of Belfast at a time when the UVF sectarian murder campaign was at its height. - Is mise,
Willow Park Road,
Dublin 11.