O’Neill apologises to victims of IRA campaign
REPUBLICANS cannot disown the suffering they caused during the conflict in the North, Sinn Féin’s vice president has said, as she apologised to the families of alleged informers killed by the IRA.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill was speaking amid calls for the republican leadership to apologise for the crimes of the IRA’s internal security unit (ISU).
It follows the publication of the interim findings of Operation Kenova which examined 101 murders and abductions linked to the Provisional IRA’s so-called ‘nutting squad’ responsible for interrogating, torturing and murdering people suspected of passing information to the security forces.
The report calls on the republican leadership to apologise to bereaved relatives and victims of the ISU.
Speaking in her role as Sinn Féin vice president, Ms O’Neill apologised to the families of alleged informers who were killed by the IRA. Asked by reporters if she accepted that the murder of alleged informants was wrong and if she wanted to take the opportunity to apologise to their families, Ms O’Neill said: ‘Yes, I’ve said it before and I’m going to repeat it again today for all those families out there that lost a loved one. I am sorry for every single loss of life and that is without exception. That’s for every person who was hurt or impacted by our conflict.’
She added: ‘We must never forget those who have died or been injured and their families. I am sorry for all the lives lost during the conflict without exception. Regrettably the path cannot be changed or cannot be undone. Neither can the suffering, the hurt or the political violence of conflict be disowned by republicans or by any other party to the conflict.’
Ms O’Neill also said an apology from the UK government ‘should be forthcoming’.
Asked if she believed it was feasible the IRA could make an apology, Ms O’Neill said: ‘We all know the IRA have left the stage.’