Ceasefire makes Reid 'look foolish'

Martin McGuinness called for a statement on UDA ceasefire

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has said Secretary of State John Reid has been made to look foolish over the issue of the loyalist ceasefires.

Mr McGuinness was speaking as he arrived at his party's ard fheis in Dublin on Saturday, where he condemned the loyalist murder of journalist Martin O'Hagan in County Armagh.

The dissident loyalist group, the Red Hand Defenders, a cover name used in the past by the Ulster Defence Association and the Loyalist Volunteer Force said it killed the Sunday World journalist near his home in Lurgan on Friday.

The murder happened hours after Dr Reid warned the UDA that their ceasefire was under hourly review.

As far as I am concerned there is no difference whatsoever between the UDA, the Red Hand Defenders the Orange Volunteers or the LVF

Martin McGuinness

"John Reid made a fool of himself," said Mr McGuinness.

"He needs to come out against the backdrop of what has happened in Lurgan and say that the UDA ceasefire is over.

"As far as I am concerned there is no difference whatsoever between the UDA, the Red Hand Defenders the Orange Volunteers or the LVF."

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein chairman Mitchell McLaughlin has said "opportunists" are exploiting the recent terrorist attacks in America to attack Irish republicanism.

Mr McLaughlin said such opportunists must not be allowed to succeed in deflecting efforts to resolve the ongoing impasse in the Northern Ireland political process.

Peace strategy

"We must not allow these opportunists to succeed in deflecting us from concentrating on what has to be done to ensure success for our peace strategy."

Mr McLaughlin said that if solutions to the problems in the peace process could be found, it would provide hope to others throughout the world.

His comments followed criticism of the party's decision to invite Basque political representatives as well as Palestinians to the ard fheis.

Sinn Fein has come under pressure to explain why three suspected IRA members were in Colombia, allegedly training members of the left wing FARC guerilla group.

'Block and stall'

Mr McLaughlin told delegates the peace process was facing many challenges in the week ahead.

Unionists, he claimed, were trying to "block and stall" the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement in every way.

The Foyle assembly member accused the British and Irish Governments of failing to "vigorously defend" the Good Friday Agreement, claiming this had given rejectionists in unionism the impression that they could renegotiate the accord and "fatally undermine the peace process".

Mitchell McLaughlin:"Unionists trying to block and stall Agreement"

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is expected to urge republicans not to give up on the peace process when he addresses the conference later on Saturday.

In a wide-ranging address to the annual conference in Dublin, Mr Adams is expected to condemn what he calls a "unionist veto on the institutions".

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble is trying to bring a motion before the assembly to exclude Sinn Fein ministers from government.

He has said the only thing which will stop this course of action is if the IRA "begins a process of credible decommissioning".

Policing, demilitarisation and the future of the institutions - issues which have caused a stumbling block in the peace process - are also expected to be debated.