Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA; more commonly referred to as the IRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the army or the Ra) is an Irish Republican paramilitary organisation. Since its emergence in 1969, its stated aim has been the reunification of Ireland which it believed could not be achieved without an armed campaign directed against British rule in Northern Ireland. On July 28, 2005, the Provisional IRA Army Council announced an end to its armed campaign, stating that it would work to achieve its aims using "purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means" and that " Volunteers must not engage in any other activities whatsoever".

End of the armed campaign

On July 28, 2005, the Provisional IRA Army Council announced an end to its armed campaign. In a statement read by Seanna Walsh, the organization stated that it has instructed its members to dump all weapons and not to engage in "any other activities whatsoever" apart from assisting ?the development of purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means". Furthermore, the organization authorised its representatives to engage immediately with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) to verifiably put its arms beyond use "in a way which will further enhance public confidence and to conclude this as quickly as possible".

Related Topics:
July 28 - 2005 - IRA Army Council - Seanna Walsh - Independent International Commission on Decommissioning

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This is not the first time that organisations styling themselves IRA have issued orders to dump arms. After its defeat in the Irish Civil War in 1924 and at the end of its unsuccessful Border Campaign in 1962, the IRA Army Council issued similar orders. However, this is the first time in Irish republicanism that any organisation has voluntarily decided to destroy its arms.

Related Topics:
Irish Civil War - Border Campaign

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On 25 September 2005, international weapons inspectors supervised the full disarmament of the outlawed Irish Republican Army, a long-sought goal of Northern Ireland's peace process. The office of IICD Chairman John de Chastelain, a retired Canadian general who in recent weeks has been in secret locations overseeing the weapons destruction, released details regarding the scrapping of many tons of IRA weaponry at a news conference in Belfast on 26 September, saying the arms had been "put beyond use" and that they were "satisfied that the arms decommissioned represent the totality of the IRA's arsenal."

Related Topics:
25 September - 2005 - John de Chastelain - Belfast - 26 September

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The IRA permitted two independent witnesses, including a Methodist minister and a Roman Catholic priest close to Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, to view the secret disarmament work. However, Ian Paisley, the leader of the DUP, has complained that since the witnesses were appointed by the IRA themselves, rather than being appointed by the British or Irish governments, they therefore cannot be said to be unbiased witnesses to the decommissioning. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4286266.stm

Related Topics:
Methodist - Roman Catholic - Sinn Fein - Gerry Adams - Ian Paisley - DUP

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~