McGuinness now faces his Maker

On a human level IVU takes no glee on the death of anyone irrespective of what they may or may not have done within their life on this earth.

We acknowledge that Martin McGuinness will be grieved by his own family and others.

However it must be said that upon news breaking this morning of Martin McGuinness death that many innocent victims and survivors of IRA terrorism have been expressing feelings of being further cheated – cheated of the prospect of obtaining some form of accountability through information Mr McGuinness could have chosen to provide to them but instead has taken to the grave with him.

Martin McGuinness and many others who have violent pasts talk about reconciliation but that does not extend to those directly wronged through terrorism.

An arbitrary timeline has been allowed to be put in place by Martin McGuinness and others which effectively states that lives taken by the IRA and others pre the 1998 Belfast Agreement were not murders, were not criminal, that they occurred within the context of a ‘Conflict or War’ and that it is only those lives taken post 1998 which can be adjudged to be wrong.

This is the lie that is at the heart of the republican movement’s rewrite programme.

Martin McGuinness will now meet his Maker and unlike on this earth, he won’t be able to dodge accountability citing the IRA’s Green book or any other document.

Each and every one of us faces the same destiny.

Kenny Donaldson, Spokesman for Innocent Victims United, Fermanagh