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Dissidents more active, says IMC Dissidents more active, says IMC
(20 minutes later)
Republican dissidents are more active than at any time in the last four-and-a-half years, the International Monitoring Commission has said.Republican dissidents are more active than at any time in the last four-and-a-half years, the International Monitoring Commission has said.
The body, which monitors paramilitary activity, said dissidents are directing their efforts to kill PSNI officers.The body, which monitors paramilitary activity, said dissidents are directing their efforts to kill PSNI officers.
It also said they have "engineered" public disorder to expose police officers to attack. In its 20th report the IMC said dissidents have "engineered" public disorder to expose officers to attack.
The body's 20th report said the current political vacuum is likely being exploited by the dissidents. It said the current political vacuum in Northern Ireland is likely being exploited by the groups.
In its report to the British and Irish governments, the IMC said dissidents had sought to raise tensions with loyalists during the parades season.
It said in previous years, when one group was active, another would be less so.
"In the past few months the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA have been more active at the same time," the report said.
"One possible reason for this may be a perception that the absence of progress on the devolution of justice and policing has created a political vacuum, or may have caused disaffection among republican supporters, which the dissidents think they are able to exploit."
As in its last assessment, the report once again confirms, that the Provisional IRA had maintained an "exclusively political path".
On the subject of loyalists, the IMC said that although some loyalists want to make progress, they still had work to do especially in the area of decommissioning and that progress had been slow.
Responding to the report, Secretary of State Shaun Woodward said society in Northern Ireland has clearly and decisively moved on but that challenges remain to secure an end to paramilitarism.
"That process would be greatly enhanced by the devolution of policing and justice powers," he said.
The Republic's justice minister, Dermot Ahern, said dissident republicans had no mandate and represented only themselves.
"Members of these groups need to leave behind their failed ideology, move on and join the rest of the people of this island in rejecting violence," he said.