Peace process 'will succeed', says senator Mitchell

The Northern Ireland peace process will succeed, the US politician who brokered the Good Friday Agreement insisted today.

Senator George Mitchell remained optimistic that the people of Northern Ireland would ensure the process worked because he believed they didn’t ‘‘want to go back to conflict’’.

The former Maine Senator also said that decommissioning would have to take place in Northern Ireland.

But he added there would also have to be progress on the other problem issues like policing and the scaling down of military installations and operations.

Just 24 hours before unionists move in the Northern Ireland Assembly to remove Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun from the power sharing government in a row over IRA decommissioning, the former talks chairman said: ‘‘I think in the end they are going to work their way through these problems.

‘‘I think things are so much better than they were when there was open conflict.

‘‘Admittedly there are many problems. They are very severe.

‘‘Implementation has not gone as well as could have been hoped for, but in the end I think people don’t want to go back to conflict.

‘‘I think there are some - small numbers on each side - who are unreconciled and want to get everything their own way.

‘‘But I go to Belfast a lot. When I first went there you didn’t see cranes, you didn’t see any construction. You go to Belfast now and take your camera with you and what do you see? You see cranes all over the place.’’

Senator Mitchell said disarmament remained as difficult an issue for the Northern Ireland parties as it was when he chaired the talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent negotiations leading to the formation of the Stormont power sharing Government in December 1999.

But he added: ‘‘It will have to occur, of that I have no doubt.

‘‘And if there is going to be any progress there has to also be progress on the other issues that remain - police reform, so-called demilitarisation and other aspects.

‘‘We have got to proceed on a broad front.’’

Senator Mitchell’s comments coincided with renewed speculation in Northern Ireland that the IRA might be planning a gesture on disarmament.

Sources in Stormont and Dublin are uncertain when the IRA will move but believe a decision has already been taken by the terror group.

The organisation said in its last statement on September 19 it would intensify its talks with Canadian General John de Chastelain’s arms commission.

In August, the Provisionals also outlined a method of putting its weapons beyond use which satisfied the commission, but withdrew its offer after the political institutions were suspended for one day.

Mr McGuinness acknowledged at his party’s annual conference in Dublin last week that decommissioning was a real issue for unionists and signalled it was also something republicans wanted to resolve.

However in a reference to unionist moves to expel him from government, the Mid Ulster MP warned swift progress on the arms issue would only be made ‘‘if others stop playing games and instead play a responsible role in making politics work.

‘‘Threats, ultimatums and deadlines do not work.

‘‘Politics does, and that is what we are about.

‘‘It should be what unionist politicians, the British and Irish Governments are about also.’’