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McGuinness attends event in Iraq McGuinness in Iraq peace mission
(about 21 hours later)
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is on his way to Iraq. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, to launch a new peace initiative.
An initiative is to be announced in the country on Saturday to try to reconcile Iraq's Shia and Sunni communities. Sunni and Shia factions are to sign up to a commitment to non-violence similar to the Mitchell Principles used in NI.
Discussions involving Northern Ireland representatives and South African political figures have been taking place over the last several months. Previous talks have been held in Helsinki involving NI representatives and South African political figures.
Previous talks have been held in Helsinki and Mr McGuinness said he was happy to be involved in the process. Although Mr McGuinness said he was optimistic about the outcome of the initiative he told the BBC that it was still very much "early days".
"It is quite important to drop pebbles into a pool in the hope that the waves will reach all shores and that's what we're doing," he said. "That's what we did in Helsinki 1, and Helsinki 2. FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm">More from Today programme "I described it before I left Ireland - our participation in Helsinki 1 and Helsinki 2 - as the dropping of a pebble in a pool with the waves reaching out to all shores," he said.
"I suppose now we're dropping a bigger pebble in the pool by actually going ourselves physically to Baghdad to declare the politicians and others as people of courage - people who are showing leadership in a very difficult time for their country." "We have come to encourage them, to give them moral support, and to say that the world is watching and that the world expects that something very powerful can grow from what was a fairly weak seedling in a forest in Helsinki."
Another delegate, Quintin Oliver, said: "Look at the intensity of the conflict that's going on.
"It's the global issue of the decade and to climb out of that, that must be something for the Iraqis," he said.
"That's why it's important that the torch moves from a forest in Finland into the heart of the capital city, where the issues remain unresolved."