The former South African president, Mr Nelson Mandela, has said that the continued failure to secure peace in Northern Ireland was an "indictment" of all the parties involved.
He was speaking after meeting the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, in Johannesburg yesterday. "The fact that there is no peace in Northern Ireland is an indictment on all the leaders there," said Mr Mandela. He hailed Sinn Fein as "an old friend and ally".
But he challenged politicians to work towards a peaceful, South African-style political settlement in the North.
"They must emulate our example. We made peace here with our enemies," Mr Mandela said.
Later Mr Adams told students that he was confident of securing a lasting peace.
"I am convinced that we will get to where were want to get and we'll reach a democratic agreement," he told students at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
He acknowledged that the IRA's refusal to hand over arms for decommissioning was a "vexed issue", but added that while IRA weapons had been "silenced, others haven't".