Sinn Fein enters Irish peace talks venue
Pro-British politicians leave in protest
July 21, 1997
Web posted at: 11:04 a.m. EDT (1504 GMT)Latest developments:
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- Protestant protest
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BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- Less than 24 hours after the anti-British Irish Republican Army restored a cease-fire, its Sinn Fein supporters were allowed on Monday to enter the building where Northern Ireland peace talks have been held. At that point some pro-British politicians immediately walked out.
In London, meanwhile, the leader of Northern Ireland's main Protestant party, David Trimble, met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to plead for guarantees that the IRA will have to start disarming in conjunction with any Protestant movement in the talks.
The talks are supposed to resume September 15 with the IRA-allied Sinn Fein party present for the first time.
Protestant protest
Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is furious that Sinn Fein will be admitted to Belfast peace talks after its IRA guerrilla allies called a halt on Sunday to their 28-year war against British rule of the province.
A Trimble ally, the UK Unionist party, announced that it was pulling out of the year-old talks to protest what its leader, Robert McCartney, called "terror appeasement" by Britain.
He made the announcement at Belfast's Stormont buildings moments after a Sinn Fein delegation arrived to occupy offices they'll use to take part in the talks.
It was the first time Sinn Fein had been allowed to enter the buildings.
The Irish republican party was banned from the talks until the IRA cease-fire and will be permitted to take part in negotiations in six weeks if Britain says the truce is real.
McCartney said his party, one of three Unionist groups committed to British rule of the province, would take no part in the negotiations except to vote against a British plan on arms "decommissioning" at a session on Wednesday.
"We will not negotiate with anyone who supports violence," McCartney said, vowing not to return unless Sinn Fein was barred again.
A second Unionist group, Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party, is also threatening to walk out of the talks, which are co-sponsored by Britain and Ireland.
Surrender of IRA weapons debated
Under the British arms proposal, the IRA and other guerrilla groups will not have to surrender weapons to gain representation at the talks but must discuss the issue in a sub-committee alongside political negotiations.
In his talks with Trimble, Blair was not expected to yield on the issue.
Mitchel McLaughlin, Sinn Fein's chairman, played down concerns that all three Unionist parties might boycott the talks.
"I believe those who walk out of the talks will return. The door should be left open so that that can happen," he told reporters when he arrived at Stormont to inspect the offices.
The Sinn Fein delegation was led by Gerry Kelly, who was jailed for bombing London's Old Bailey court complex in 1972.
He escaped from a British jail in the 1980s, was extradited from the Netherlands and has been on the party's negotiating team ever since.
Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness have twice been refused entry to Stormont in the past year when they tried to join the talks.
Britain refused them entry and had cut off contact with the party because of the IRA's refusal to renew a truce the guerrillas called in August 1994, then broke in February 1996.
Reuters contributed to this report.
- Newsmaker Profile: Gerry Adams - Sinn Fein leader
- Message Board: The conflict in Northern Ireland
Related stories:
- IRA cease-fire takes effect - July 20, 1997
- IRA urged to renew cease-fire after march canceled - July 11, 1997
- Catholic rage, violence in Northern Ireland streets - July 7, 1997
- Northern Ireland march prompts renewed rioting, suspicions - July 6, 1997
Related sites:
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- Sinn Fein Home Page - official party page; includes documents, press releases, and party objectives
- The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland - Protestant fraternity with members throughout the world
- The Irish Times Home Page
- Ulster Democratic Unionist Party Home Page
- Royal Ulster Constabulary - the police force of Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland Information Centre
- Northern Ireland Government Home Page
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