Killers must be caught – McGuinness

Ronan Kerr’s murder by suspected republican dissidents prompts Sinn Féin minister to call for information One of Sinn Féin’s most prominent figures has called on nationalists to inform on the republican dissidents who killed a police officer in Northern Ireland at the weekend. Martin McGuinness, a former chief of staff of the Provisional IRA, made the call after a security briefing in Belfast on Monday. The deputy first minister of Northern Ireland said: “I would say, and I am standing up to be counted: give the information to the police, give it to the Garda in the south if you have it, give it to the PSNI in the north. “My message is very, very simple: those who are perpetrating these acts, those who are killing our people, need to be apprehended. These are people who are pledged to destroy the peace and destroy a peace process that many of us have invested much of our adult lives in trying to bring about.” His call for nationalists to provide information about armed dissident republicans would have been unthinkable before the peace process and the political power-sharing settlement in Northern Ireland. Republicans behind the booby-trap bomb murder of Catholic police constable Ronan Kerr were the enemies of Ireland, McGuinness said, adding that the Real IRA, Óghlaigh na hÉireann (ONH) and Continuity IRA were waging a “useless war against peace”. McGuinness made his remarks after he and the first minister, Peter Robinson, met with the PSNI chief constable, Matt Bagott, about the security threat posed by the republican dissidents. Nuala Kerr, mother of the murdered police officer, has urged young Catholics not to be deterred from joining the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland). The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is to hold a press conference in response to the murder. The officer had been a keen gaelic footballer and supported the Tyrone county team. At Tyrone’s match on Sunday players and supporters held a minute’s silence. Robinson said: “When you see, not just the statement from the GAA, the minute’s silence at their game, but also the respect in which that minute’s silence was held, it indicates we have support right across the community.” In a sign of unity he and McGuinness stood beside Bagott and the Northern Ireland justice minister, David Ford, inside Stormont. Although McGuinness urged the dissidents to abandon their armed campaign it is unlikely to be heeded in the short to medium term. The Real IRA, ONH and Continuity IRA have stepped up their violence in recent weeks and as the Guardian revealed on Monday they have perfected a new type of mortar bomb launcher which poses a greater threat against security bases and other strategic locations in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness Sinn Féin Police UK security and terrorism Continuity IRA Real IRA Omagh bombing Ireland Europe Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 4, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.