LONDON, July 19: The Irish Republican Army (IRA) has called a cease-fire starting from noon on Sunday. In a statement telephoned to the Irish State radio in Dublin the IRA said that it was declaring ``an unequivocal restoration of the cease-fire of August, 1994.''

The statement said, ``The Irish Republican Army is committed to ending British rule in Ireland. It is the root cause of division and conflict in our country. We want permanent peace and therefore we are prepared to enhance the search for a democratic peace settlement through real and inclusive political negotiations. So, having assessed the current political situation, the leadership of Oglaigh NahEireann (IRA) are announcing a complete cessation of military operations from Sunday, July 20, 1997.''

The 1994 cease-fire lasted 18 months and ended in February last year with a bomb blast in the Docklands areas of London's business district. The British Government has consistently maintained that IRA's political win, Sinn Fein would be included in all-party talks on northern Ireland six-weeks after an ``unequivocal'' IRA cease-fire which was ``credible and verifiable''.

This is the first time that the IRA has used the word ``unequivocal''. Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the IRA's announcement. He said there is a ``new mood of hope for peace and a lasting political settlement in Northern Ireland.'' The key to the IRA declaration was an assurance from the new British government that the IRA would not have to hand over any of their arms in order for Sinn Fein to take part in the talks.

Hope that the IRA would call a cease-fire soon had grown in the province since Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams issued a statement in which he said that he and the party's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness had ``provided a detailed report and assessment to the IRA and urged the IRA leadership to restore its cessation of August 1994.'' Adams said that he had ``made it clear over the 18 months since the collapse of the peace process that I would only approach the IRA to restore their cessation if I was confident that their response would be positive.'' He said, ``There is an onus on the two governments, and in particular, on the British Government, to demonstrate the political will necessary. This also presents a historic challenge to the Unionist leaders because a political settlement will, of necessity, involve fundamental and thorough-going political and constitutional change.''

The Ulster Unionist Leader, David Trimble has accused the British Government of having ``watered down'' its position on decommissioning. Trimble said that in a confidential letter sent by the Northern Ireland Office to Sinn Fein, released this month there is no time-table for decommissioning and no requirement for weapons to be handed over by the IRA before or during the talks as the Government had previously promised.

Unionists want all arms to be handed in on the first day of any talks that include Sinn Fein. The British and Irish Governments have agreed that the issue of decommissioning, which stalled earlier efforts for peace talks, can be handled in parallel negotiations.

Pressure on Trimble, who leads the moderate Ulster Unionist party, is increasing. The British and Irish Governments have said that nothing would be allowed to unravel the process leading to the talks and that they are both firmly behind the decommissioning document. Blair will meet Trimble on Monday to try and win his agreement, before Wednesday's vote on the document. If the Unionists block agreement on the document on Wednesday, it will throw the Government's time-table for multi-party talks into chaos.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.