July 28 (Bloomberg) -- The Irish Republican Army said it will end its 36-year armed campaign and use political means to achieve its goal of a united Ireland.

The IRA's leadership ``took these decisions following an unprecedented internal discussion consultation process with IRA units,'' the illegal organization said in a statement. There is ``very strong support among IRA volunteers for the Sinn Fein peace strategy.''

Sinn Fein, the mainly Roman Catholic political party allied with the armed group, in April called on the IRA to end its ``armed struggle.'' Agreement by the IRA to give up its weapons could help restore the power-sharing government that brought the province's Roman Catholics and Protestants together under a 1998 accord. It has been suspended since November 2002.

Talks on restoring the Northern Ireland assembly stalled on Dec. 8 when majority-Protestant unionists demanded photos to prove the IRA's arms had been decommissioned. The restoration has been further hampered by the theft of about $51 million from a Belfast bank on Dec. 20 and the killing of Robert McCartney outside a bar in the city in January.

McCartney's family, who say members of the IRA were responsible for his death, have held rallies in Dublin and Belfast and met U.S. President George Bush as part of a campaign to find the killers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Fergal O'Brien in Dublin at fobrien@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 28, 2005 07:52 EDT