AN Enniskillen peace group has become involved in mediation over two controversial parades by members of the Royal Black Institution in the Co Fermanagh border village of Newtownbutler.
The Newtownbutler Area Association, a group of local residents, earlier sent a letter to the institution asking it to refrain from parading in the village tomorrow morning and evening. No reply has been received. Local members of the institution are due to parade in the village before travelling to a parade for Fermanagh lodges in Ballinamallard. They plan to parade again in Newtownbutler on their return.
Last night, Enniskillen Together, the peace group set up after the 1987 Remembrance Sunday bombing, became involved in negotiations on the parades.
The Newtownbutler Royal Black Preceptory (local branch) held a meeting to discuss its plans, but refused to disclose details of the meeting. A meeting of the Newtownbutler Area Association was held late last night to discuss its actions today and tomorrow regarding the two parades.
Mr Michael McPhillips, spokesman for the Newtownbutler Area Association, has said that if negotiations between the Royal Black Institution and Enniskillen Together fail today, he will personally seek a meeting with the marchers. "If they do not come to anything, I will look for a direct meeting with the marchers myself to put across our case. The Blackmen did not give us a response to our letter, as we had requested, but we still hope that a resolution to this problem can be found."
It is believed that the marchers will wait until tomorrow morning before disclosing their plans.
Mr Albert Liddle, a local Ulster Unionist councillor and Royal Black Preceptory member, has described the newly formed Newtowbutler Area Association as a "Sinn Fein front" and said the institution would probably wait until the parade was due you take place before deciding on its tactics.
Mr Liddle said. "I regard this whole thing and this new group as a Sinn Fein exercise and a Sinn Fein front. The Royal Black Preceptory is not going to listen to demands from these people. It will probably be Saturday morning, when the first parade will be taking place, before a decision is taken. The Royal Black Preceptory are dignified and harmless and cause offence to nobody."
Meanwhile, in the nearby village of Roslea, it is likely that a stand off could occur tomorrow between Royal Black Institution marchers and the Roslea Against Sectarian Marchers Group. Observers from the Committee on the Administration of Justice and a number of TDs will be in attendance at the parade. Mediation by Enniskillen Together on this parade appears to have failed, with the Royal Black Preceptory refusing to speak directly to the residents' group.
Mr Brian McCaffrey, spokesman for the Roslea Against Sectarian Marchers Group, said that it was now likely that a protest would take place.
It is expected that the RUC will today release a statement about its decision on the Roslea and Newlownbutler parades.