IRA 'testing' weapons in Colombia

The IRA is alleged to have used Colombia as a testing ground for weapons

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- The Northern Ireland peace process is under renewed pressure on Thursday after claims that the IRA is testing and developing weapons in Colombia.

Three IRA suspects are currently awaiting trial in the South American country charged with training Marxist Farc rebels, something they and the republican movement deny. (Full Story)

But a top level assessment by the security forces is that the Irish Republican Army is using Colombia as a testing ground to develop and try out new weapons including rockets, and that the activity was "definitely sanctioned at IRA army council level."

Journalist Peter Taggert told CNN: "This could have far reaching implications for the peace process."

Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey, a minister in the power-sharing Stormont government, said of the revelation: "This is a clear breach of the cease-fire, a dramatic breach of the cease-fire."

EXTRA INFORMATION In-Depth: Conflict and hope in Northern Ireland

He said Sinn Fein and the IRA had signed up to a peace process which required "exclusively peaceful democratic means" and added: "Why develop weapons if the war is over.

"I think that is something we will have to consider and take a considered view over."

The latest revelation was an indication that either Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and his number two Martin McGuinness were "playing a clear and dishonest game" or that "they are unable to speak for the IRA and the IRA is beyond their influence,"

he said.

If republicans were not standing by the Good Friday Agreement the government

had a duty to act against republicans, he added.

"The government has a duty to ensure that they are not allowed to destroy the process and are in fact expelled from the process."

Unionists said they needed answers from the government, the republican movement and most importantly from Adams and McGuinness.

"They made a string of promises to the people of Northern Ireland and if this is true either Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness have been breaking their word or they are being duped by their colleagues and former colleagues in the IRA."

The IRA dismissed the security assessment as unsubstantiated allegations by unnamed securocrats.

The IRA link came to light when the three men being held in Bogota were arrested last year after spending time in an area of Colombia controlled by Farc.

The trio, Niall Connolly, Jim Monaghan and Martin McCauley earlier on Thursday claimed to have been refusing food for the past five days because of fears they could be poisoned before they stand trial.