HE On April 10, 1998, Ulster ended the thirty-year conflict in a historic agreement.. Belfast Accords has been renamed for posterity. Good Friday Deals When signed, they marked the beginning of the end of sectarian conflicts based on a now shaky consensus that has been shaken by the political repercussions of the UK’s departure from the European Union.
Conflict dating back to the twenties of the last century, when the island of Ireland is divided between an independent country of the same name and a northern region that remains attached to the United Kingdom. The trade unionist theses then triumphed over the republicans who wanted to integrate into independent Ireland.
Political and social inconsistencies emerging ten years later creation of armed groups: The Ulster paramilitary Volunteer Force emerged on the trade unionist side, while the Irish Republican Army, known by the English abbreviation IRA, was created on the rival side.
Los Problemas (‘The Troubles’ in English), the well-known euphemism for a conflict that claimed the lives of more than 3,500 people over the three decades leading up to the signing of the Good Friday Agreements, began.
This text had the main challenge Draw a new framework of political unity that will also reflect the complex social fabric of a divided people.with established divisions even in the religious sphere – trade unionists mostly Protestant, while Republicans identify with Catholicism.
Agreements laid the groundwork a framework of respect between the two parties and in the political arena, they led to a new Belfast-based Parliament and what was supposed to be a coalition government. Nationalists led by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and republicans led by Sinn Féin, the political arm of the IRA, had to sit at the same table.
Armed groups renounced armed struggle and as evictions took place, London agreed to give up most of its military presence as a gesture of détente in a practically festive atmosphere that included public figures who broke political protocol.
The United States, led by then Democrat Bill Clinton, mediator in these negotiations.It ended with the signing of the two main politicians in charge of Ireland and the United Kingdom: Tony Blair for the English side and Bertie Ahern for the Irish side.
The Norwegian Committee recognized these political efforts in 1998 with the Nobel Peace Prize, personified in figures of Irish political leader John Hume and Northern Irishman David Trimble. The jury noted that their work would not only allow for peace in Northern Ireland, but also “to inspire other peaceful solutions to conflicts of various kinds around the world.
attempts at violence
However, the agreement It didn’t mean it was completely over. Violence, because although the main armed leaders agreed to lay down their arms, certain divisions were formed within the IRA, which led to the formation of several divisions, with subgroups still active today and continuing to be a threat in the eyes of the authorities.
In fact, the British Government decided to raise the anti-terrorism alert level to serious last March, which means it’s “very likely” that attacks will happen. This is how he responded to the shooting death of police officer John Caldwell in February after attending a children’s soccer game. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the attack.
An independent research published in 2018 is cryptic in 158 deaths due to paramilitary activities After the signing of the Good Friday Agreements.
Brexit earthquake
This North Ireland today is not the same as 25 years ago. In September 2022, the census showed for the first time more Catholics than Protestants, and in the parliamentary elections in May Sinn Féin came first against the DUP. As always, the prime minister claimed his position and thus the scepter of the Government.
All this in a context that has been marked by Brexit since 2016. In June of the same year, most British nationals also in Northern Ireland,He voted in the referendum for the UK’s exit from the European Union.This necessitated the redrawing of a framework of relations with the island of Ireland as one of its most thorny points.
HE The British government and the European Commission devised the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol as an addition to the Brexit agreements. and that the specter of a ‘hard border’ has disappeared. It allowed Northern Ireland to remain committed to the common European market, but required the establishment of a series of controls over trade with England, Scotland and Wales.
Unionist skepticism over these controls, which claim to limit fluid relations with the rest of the UK, has led to a political blockade in Northern Ireland to the point where this region has been without a government since the last elections. The DUP refused to facilitate institutional functioning and accept a new coalition until their demands were considered.
Tri-band heart rate achieved in March of this year A new text in the Windsor Framework that simplifies these checks and wins the approval of a majority of MPs in the House of Commons.. However, the DUP has asked for time to review all the details and variants and has yet to decide whether it will take the final step to re-bridging Sinn Féin.