Northern Irish First Minister resigns amid political crisis over IRA

Northern Ireland’s first minister dramatically resigned Thursday in a crisis caused by suspicions over Irish Republican Army (IRA) activity threatening the British province’s hard-earned political stability. Peter Robinson of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said he and his ministers would step down from the power-sharing government in Belfast following a complex chain of events triggered by the murder of former IRA gunman Kevin McGuigan in Belfast last month.

The fact that leading members of Sinn Fein have been associated with a murder indicates to us that we cannot do business as usual. We trust that talks will be able to take place and a suspension will occur to give the space to do that.

DUP minister Arlene Foster.

The DUP have been in power since 2007 alongside republicans Sinn Fein. The latter was the political wing of the IRA paramilitary group during some 30 years of sectarian violence known as The Troubles in which 3,500 people died and which was largely ended by a peace deal in 1998. On Wednesday, a senior figure in Sinn Fein, Bobby Storey, was arrested in connection with the killing, prompting Robinson to announce he could be prepared to step down. Storey was released by police on Thursday evening and his lawyer said he would now be suing for unlawful arrest.

I urge Northern Ireland’s political leaders to take a step back and consider the gains achieved over recent years, the benefits to the people of Northern Ireland and what is now at stake.

British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Politics Northern Ireland