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Mr Adams: speedy
demilitarisation |
The IRA's historic decision to start disarming should remove the "log-jam" holding up the peace process, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said today. He said demilitarisation should now begin immediately.
Mr Adams said he expected a "warm and generous response" from Ulster Unionists and from the British government to the IRA's arms announcement.
"The issue of weapons has now effectively been taken out of the political equation and put where it belongs," he said.
"This issue is one that has now been removed as a log-jam in the process."
Mr Adams, addressing a press conference in London, said that he hoped it would be met by a positive response including early moves to scale back the British military presence in Northern Ireland.
"It is my view that we will get a warm and generous response but it has to be sustained until the end of the road," he said.
The pulling back of British troops and the military infrastructure of watchtowers guarding border areas like South Armagh should begin "with speed".
"I see no reason why there should be British troops in any part of the country. I want to see all that infrastructure removed," he said.
"We need to see steps from the British and the unionists to match the steps from the IRA."
Mr Adams comments were followed by a call from the SDLP on loyalist paramilitaries to disarm.
SDLP Minister, Dr Sean Farren said the IRA had made an "historic move" as regards decommissioning and said the onus was now on "the entire unionist and loyalist community... to work to achieve a commitment on arms from loyalist paramilitaries".
Meanwhile Sinn Féin's chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness arrived back in Northern Ireland today from a trip to America and said he hoped the other outstanding elements of the Belfast Agreement would soon be implemented.
He said: "I think what we're all wanting to hear from everybody within the process is how we are going to fully and faithfully implement the Agreement.
"The past couple of days have been truly historic."
PA