McGuinness says Boyle attackers are seeking military occupation

The senior Sinn Féin figure made the comments during his key note speech at the party’s Ard Fheis at the weekend.

“We must also continue to face down the extremes within loyalism and so-called dissident republicanism who would seek to drag us back to the dark days of the past,” said Mr McGuinness.

“All they have to offer is fear, intimidation and pointless bloodshed. We have seen that in recent days and weeks with the murders of Michael McGibbon and prison officer Adrian Ismay in Belfast and the shooting of Harry Boyle in my own city of Derry.

“The people who carried out these acts are waging war on our communities,” he added.

The Deputy First Minister accused those responsible for the shooting of seeking the military re-occupation of Northern Ireland.

“But their campaign – which couldn’t be called a military campaign - is not only futile it is without support.

“The only purpose of those involved in these gangs is to see British military occupation of areas like the Bogside, East Tyrone, West Belfast and South Armagh.

“They have been rejected by the people of Ireland and we won’t allow them to do that,” he said.