Northern Ireland “Above All, The Continuing Peace’ Did the Queen get it Wrong?
London: Northern Ireland is Back on the ‘International Crisis Group’ Deteriorated Situations in their April Monthly Crisis Watch Conflict Tracker Assessment. First Time Since the Good Friday Agreement!
On Sunday 2nd May 2021, Queen Elizabeth said the following: ‘The political progress in Northern Ireland and the peace process is rightly credited to a generation of leaders who had the vision and courage to put reconciliation before division. But above all, the continued peace is a credit to its people, upon whose shoulders the future rests.’ It is clear that reconciliation, equality and mutual understanding cannot be taken for granted, and will require sustained fortitude and commitment. During my many visits to Northern Ireland, I have seen these qualities in abundance, and look forward to seeing them again on future occasions,’
The Authoritative ‘International Crisis Group’, in its’ April report, listed Northern Ireland as a country that had a ‘Deteriorated Situation’. They said: ‘Violent unrest erupted in the capital Belfast and other cities against the backdrop of rising unionist anger over controversial Northern Ireland Protocol. Unrest 2-9 April broke out across several cities, reportedly leaving at least 90 police officers injured; violence erupted amid rising discontent within the Unionist community over Northern Ireland Protocol – provision of UK-EU “Brexit” agreement in effect since 1 Jan 2020 that created regulatory border in the Irish Sea – as well as anger over Public Prosecution Service’s late March decision not to prosecute Sinn Fein politicians who attended a funeral last summer in violation of COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings.
Notably, groups of predominantly youths 2 April assaulted police officers, injuring 12 in Londonderry city; the next day hijacked and set alight three vehicles and threw over 30 petrol bombs at police in Newtownabbey town. In capital Belfast, authorities 2 April arrested eight individuals, including a 13-year-old boy, after youth groups attacked police officers in a historical loyalist area. Group mostly encompassing youths 7 April hijacked and set a bus on fire at the inter sectional area between nationalist and unionist communities; 8 April threw petrol bombs at police officers who deployed water cannons for the first time in six years.
Sourc: https://is.gd/UaMDAl
