Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson. (Photo: Reuters)
Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson said he was resigning on Thursday in a crisis, caused by alleged Irish Republican Army (IRA) activity, which is threatening the peace-making process.
Robinson, the head of the once-troubled province's power-sharing executive, said he would be replaced temporarily by Arlene Foster, a colleague from his pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
"I am... standing aside as first minister and other DUP ministers will resign with immediate effect with the exception of Arlene Foster," he said in a statement.
"I have asked Arlene to remain in post as Finance Minister and acting First Minister to ensure that nationalists and republicans are not able to take financial and other decisions that may be detrimental to Northern Ireland," he said.
The resignation of Robinson and three other ministers will not bring about the immediate collapse of the executive as had been feared, and local government departments will continue to function as normal.
The crisis was caused by the killing of a former IRA militant last month, which revived fears that the paramilitary group is still operating in secret.
The group waged a campaign of violence to drive Britain out of Northern Ireland until the 1998 pact ended a conflict in which 3,500 people died.
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