'Army move is ethnic cleansing', says DUP's Morrow

The decision to site Army bases far from the border is part of a policy of ethnic cleansing of unionists from republican strongholds, it was claimed today.

DUP Assemblyman Maurice Morrow said: “Unionists have been intimidated out of their homes and there’s been an ethnic cleansing program which will continue in a different format.

“The first visible sign of that is the Army bases being closed. It leaves unionists very vulnerable, feeling unwanted, unwelcome, isolated and marginalised.”

He said there would soon be little to differentiate parts of Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh from the Republic.

SDLP Upper Bann Assembly member Dolores Kelly said Mr Morrow’s attitude was disappointing.

“The DUP have a long way to go in terms of building a shared future or understanding nationalists or republicans and in particular the role of the British Army during the last 38 years,” she said.

“It shows an immature attitude towards the realities of a modern army and it is that clinging to the past rather than having confidence in the future that is very disappointing.”

The UK's Ministry of Defence said there were no security installations in those counties for cost reasons following the end of operations here but Mr Morrow said the true motive was political.

“The troops in the Army bases had to be put out of the border areas because there was an assimilation program carried out to make it so you wouldn’t know if you are in Northern Ireland or the South,” the Fermanagh South Tyrone representative said.

Sites including Bessbrook, Co Armagh and Omagh, Co Tyrone, have been closed as part of the Army scaledown to around 5,000 troops for yesterday’s end of the 38-year Operation Banner.

At the height of the troubles there were 27,000 troops on streets across the province.

The MoD said: “With a maximum permanent garrison of 5,000 troops the value for money consideration was centred around basing the troops in the most cost effective manner.

“Factors considered were the quality of the living and working estate and the amount of investment required at each site to meet the different needs of the troops based there.

“Also the sites are geographically closer to the main air and sea ports which is advantageous for the movement of troops for the rest of the world deployments.

“The remaining sites which met the requirements happen to be located in the east of the province.”