Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the Stormont talks, Mr Martin McGuinness, yesterday appealed to progressive people in the unionist community to move the peace process forward.
He was addressing republicans who gathered to honour five men who died in 1957 when an IRA bomb exploded prematurely at Edentubber in south Armagh.
Welcoming the crowd of about 900, Mr McGuinness said: "Unionist rejectionists cannot be allowed to prevent for selfish political reasons the real, meaningful and substantive changes that are required if we are to move forward into a durable peaceful and stable future together."
He said unionists had nothing to fear from republicans if the peace process succeeded.
"When republicans demand equality we demand it for all the people of this island irrespective of religious or political persuasion, ethnic origin or social standing."
He said the process had produced courageous people and politicians from within the unionist community and "I appeal to those progressive people in positions of influence within the unionist community to continue their encouragement of the Ulster Unionist Party in moving forward in co-operation with the rest of the pro-agreement parties. . ."
Mr McGuinness said Sinn Fein was aware that party leadership was about leading and he hoped that today would see the leadership of the Ulster Unionists doing just that.
Referring to the Mitchell review he said: "Hopefully the conclusion will be a positive one".