Nationalist residents have dismissed as "nonsense" claims by the Apprentice Boys that the loyal order could not engage in direct negotiations with residents of the Lower Ormeau Road because community representatives were "running away" from dialogue.
The dispute arose yesterday as the first controversial loyalist parade of the marching season was rerouted at the Ormeau Road Bridge in accordance with a Parades Commission ruling and was prevented from entering the mainly nationalist area.
"I'm ready to meet with them directly," said a spokesman for the Ballynafeigh Branch of the Apprentice Boys of Derry, Mr Tommy Cheevers. "We are ready to address the concerns of these people, but here they are running away from dialogue."
The Ballynafeigh Branch members, who had intended to march to the city centre via the Lower Ormeau Road, were ferried in coaches to join more than 5,000 Apprentice Boys from around Northern Ireland for the traditional Easter Monday parade in Belfast.
Mr Cheevers, once a member of the Parades Commission, said branch representatives had made attempts to organise a meeting with residents since last November.
"We hold open our long-standing offer of a direct dialogue, chaired by an independent mediator, asking only that the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community group puts aside the language and tactics of confrontation.
"We are trying to bring about change in our country. We need more tolerance and a better understanding of each other," he added.
However, a spokesman for the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community group (LOCC), Mr Gerard Rice, dismissed claims made by the Apprentice Boys that they had been actively seeking dialogue.
"We had been hopeful that we were finally beginning to move towards a genuine process of conflict resolution on this issue, but the false claims by the Apprentice Boys and the confrontational language used have left us angry and confused," said Mr Rice.
The LOCC claimed it wrote to the Apprentice Boys in January and February this year inviting talks. The loyal order counter-claimed that a letter it sent to the community group requesting dialogue would have been received last week.
"That is nonsense. We made the contact," said Mr Rice. "Any contact that was made with the Apprentice Boys was initiated by the LOCC. No Apprentice Boy made approaches to any third party either.
"I will speak with the Apprentice Boys in five minutes, but talks alone will not resolve the marching issue. They would help, but when are people going to show respect for this community?
"We will not accept sectarian and triumphalist parades coming through this community," he added.
On the eve of yesterday's march the Ballynafeigh Lodge said in a statement that members were "saddened that a peaceful and orderly expression of culture has again been obstructed".
"Our parades are intended as a peaceful, dignified, public expression of our belief in civil and religious liberty for all," added the statement.
An RUC spokesman said yesterday that the force acknowledged the concerns of the Apprentice Boys and the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community group. He congratulated all those who had "worked tirelessly" to ensure that yesterday's early-morning feeder parade passed off peacefully.