The bulk of the "1st Battalion" of the IRA's "South Armagh Brigade" has resigned and is supporting those challenging the leadership, a spokesman for other IRA dissidents has claimed. The spokesman said the group was acting in solidarity with other senior IRA personnel, including the national "quartermaster", who resigned last month following an IRA convention in Co Donegal on the Mitchell principles.
The convention decided that the Mitchell principles on democracy and non-violence were "unconstitutional" but granted Sinn Fein leaders "special dispensation" to accept them.
About 20 senior IRA members then resigned in protest and some said they had no confidence in the leadership. Their spokesman told The Irish Times yesterday 35 members of the 1st Battalion of the IRA's South Armagh Brigade had resigned in solidarity following a meeting with the IRA leadership last Saturday night.
The resignations were the result of the 1st Battalion's lack of faith in the current leadership and the direction of the peace process, he claimed. He said the next day, the battalion held a private wreath-laying service before the official Sinn Fein Edentubber Martyrs' commemoration in Co Louth.
A wreath from the battalion lay beside the memorial yesterday. The commemoration marked the death of five IRA men killed by their own bomb 40 years ago.
The spokesman for the dissidents claimed the resignations in south Armagh had occurred following an emotional and intense meeting between the 1st battalion and three representatives of the leadership last Saturday night.
Thirty-five members of the 1st Battalion walked out after the meeting, he said. "The leadership did everything to prevent them from going; they begged them to stay." It could not be established last night if the entire battalion staff had attended the alleged meeting or whether any of its members were remaining loyal to the leadership.
IRA sources in Belfast could not confirm the resignations. "I heard there was trouble in south Armagh but I don't know about anybody leaving," said one source. "I think it's unlikely but I don't know anything for definite." However, another source said: "South Armagh has gone and east Tyrone could well go too."
Most Belfast IRA members remain confused about what is happening. "There are an awful lot of rumours flying about at the moment and it is impossible to tell what is going on," said one.
South Armagh has long been the IRA stronghold and any defections would be a devastating blow to the leadership. Many of the major IRA bombs in England this decade, including Canary Wharf and the Baltic Exchange, were planned and designed in south Armagh.
The 1st Battalion, which involves Crossmaglen, Bessbrook, Forkhill and Camlough, is regarded as one of the IRA's most deadly and "professional" battalions. It has been at the cutting edge of the IRA campaign since the start of the Troubles.
The 2nd Battalion - the smaller of the two - covers Keady and Newtownhamilton. It has remained with the leadership, the dissidents' spokesman said.
He claimed two people from Belfast and a local IRA commander represented the leadership at the Saturday night meeting. He alleged 1st Battalion members had lost faith in the local commander whom he accused of "corruption and embezzlement".
He said the commander had been a delegate to the IRA convention held last November to discuss conditions for a new ceasefire. "He did not represent the views of his unit. He took a `peace process' line and he has received favours from the leadership in return."
The spokesman refused to discuss the dissidents' plans. He repeated that they opposed the leadership's strategy, but said they had no intention of joining the Continuity IRA.