The mother of the last British soldier to be killed by the IRA held a peace vigil at Stormont yesterday. Mrs Rita Restorick said she had travelled to Belfast to encourage the politicians to compromise and take the initiative away from the paramilitaries.
Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick (23) was shot by a sniper at a security checkpoint in Bessbrook, Co Armagh, in February.
His mother said she did not object to Sinn Fein's inclusion in talks. "They have to be there if the negotiations are to have any meaning and to prevent a return to the gun and the bomb."
Mrs Restorick said: "The people of Northern Ireland must find a solution to give everyone hope for the future. If they don't reach a settlement, the men of violence will feel justified in returning to their old ways.
"I think I am a symbol for all the mothers, wives and sisters who have lost their loved ones in the Troubles. I hope that the talks succeed and that no one else has to ever again go through what myself and my family went through."
The relatives of nationalists killed during the Troubles, including the families of those shot dead on Bloody Sunday in Derry, joined Mrs Restorick's vigil. Members of the cross-community group, Women Together, were also present.
Campaigners for Mr Colin Duffy, who is facing charges relating to the murder of two RUC officers in Lurgan, Co Armagh, earlier this year, held a picket outside Stormont, saying he is innocent.