Unionists 'blind' over role in conflict

All shades of unionism in Northern Ireland appear to have “a blind spot” about their role in the conflict that broke out there, it was claimed today.

Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey, told his party’s annual conference in Dublin that the party had intensified its engagement with Protestant and unionist leaders but were concerned that it was primarily confined to Northern Ireland.

The former Belfast Lord Mayor said there had been “a huge gulf of distrust, misunderstanding and suspicion” between republicans and unionists.

Sinn Féin, he said, was trying to address that but he accepted that despite the peace process gestures made by republicans over the past 10 years “unionists remain sceptical about our sincerity”.

The South Belfast MLA said: “However much of this has to do with the failure of the leaders of unionism over the last 10 years is, of course, a matter for debate.

“There is no doubt that many unionist leaders are either opposed to change or are reluctant to embrace it.

“They certainly do not encourage dialogue between communities.

“There is also no doubt that many of the people we engage with are much more open-minded about the need for change and dialogue than their political leaders.”

In the current negotiations on the future of the Good Friday Agreement at Stormont, Northern Ireland’s largest party the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists refused to engage in direct dialogue with Sinn Féin.

David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists have also threatened to leave the review of the Agreement following allegations that the IRA attempted to abduct dissident republican Bobby Tohill from a Belfast City Centre bar eight days ago.

Mr Maskey observed that while his party tried to engage with unionism, he was struck by the fact that there was “unfortunately a blind spot among all shades of unionism about their role in the conflict”.

He continued: “They seem not to realise the impact on Northern Catholics and nationalists of the years between 1920 and 1969 when a Protestant and unionist state was imposed on us and those who lived through those years, never mind the role of unionism right up to this very day.

“In my opinion these are just some of the difficult realities that we have to deal with. But no matter how difficult are the obstacles to dialogue they need to be tackled. They need to be overcome.”

Mr Maskey said the task was formidable.

However he insisted Sinn Féin was committed to building peace, promoting reconciliation throughout the island of Ireland and developing Sinn Féin’s attempts to reach out to unionists and the broader Protestant community.