A growing sense of foreboding was apparent in Northern Ireland last night as another man was gunned down on the streets of Belfast. The continuing spiral of violence, and doubts over the Ulster Democratic Party's future in the talks process, are intensifying the current political and paramilitary uncertainty.
The RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, accused the UDA of being responsible for three recent murders. This prompted calls for the expulsion from the talks of the UDP, which is linked to the UDA.
The latest victim of the violence, Mr Chris McMahon, a Catholic, was shot on the northern outskirts of the city as he left work shortly after 6 p.m. He was brought to hospital with gunshot wounds to the head and groin. He was reported to be "seriously ill but stable." So far, no organisation has admitted the shooting, although loyalists are suspected. An eyewitness told of the wounded man crying, "Why me"? and being told by his brother, "It's nothing to do with you; it's just the stupid country we live in".
The Conservative Party's Northern spokesman, Mr Andrew Mackay, and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP, Mr William Thompson said the UDP should be expelled from the talks.
The Alliance leader, Lord Alderdice, said that to remain in the talks the UDP must choose between either the UDA, or democracy and non-violence, as the Mitchell Principles demanded. But UDP leader, Mr Gary McMichael said he did not believe the talks could survive if his party, or any other party, were forced out of the process.
The British and Irish governments have expressed serious concern about Mr Flanagan's allegations. Hitherto, the governments, in the face of similar claims, have tended to give the UDP the benefit of the doubt, but the force of Mr Flanagan's accusations will make it difficult for them to adopt an ambiguous approach now.
The UDP leader has effectively accepted the Chief Constable's statement yesterday that the UDA killed Mr Eddie Treanor, Mr Larry Brennan and Mr Ben Hughes in recent weeks.
"I have no intentions of calling the Chief Constable a liar," said party spokesman, Mr David Adams. The UDP leadership would now "go back to the UFF (covername for the UDA) and ask for explanations, and ask exactly what is going on".
Despite the allegations, Mr Adams said it was indisputable that the UDP wanted the talks to succeed and the violence to end. "Except for the involvement of the UDP and others in this process, we would be in a terrible situation . . . If we are to cut all ties with those who are in loyalist paramilitaries, then we have no influence whatsoever." The Chief Constable, while saying that there appeared to be no imminent danger of the IRA ceasefire collapsing, said he believed the IRA was linked to Direct Action Against Drugs (DAAD), which recently shot a man in west Belfast.
Further strains were placed on the political process when the UUP's deputy leader, Mr John Taylor, warned that his party might withdraw from the talks if the British-Irish proposals were amended to meet Sinn Fein concerns.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said Mr Taylor's remarks were part of a concerted campaign "by all shades of unionism, designed to impose a unionist agenda inside the negotiations process and outside it". The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, on a visit to Belfast yesterday said: "These killings are designed to maintain conditions of chaos so that gangsters can continue to make profit and exercise power."
The Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, said the voice of ordinary people must be heard. "Their voice is a clear call for an end to the killing, and a solution which will be a sign of hope for their future," he said.
North badly needs skills of the great conciliator: page 8
