What problems will need to be overcome if the current peace talks are to succeed?
Amber Jubb 10NB History (607) What problems will need to be overcome if the current peace talks are to succeed? In the last 10 years alone there have been numerous attempts at peace between the Nationalists and Loyalists of Ireland and Northern Ireland. One of these was the Joint Framework Document, influenced greatly by the Downing Street Declaration shown in Source 1. Following talks between the British Prime Minister and the Irish leader, the Downing Street Declaration was issued. It stated that the people of Northern Ireland should be free to decide their own future and that representatives of various groups
should meet to discuss a solution. Sinn Fein was offered a seat provided that IRA violence was ended. As a result the IRA declared a cease fire in August 1994 and were followed a month later by a cease fire declaration from Loyalist groups. The Joint Framework Document was drawn up and published in February 1995 as an agreement to set out a plan for a peace process in Northern Ireland. The greatest significance of the Framework Document was that it secured any developing political process to a steady pace and as source 2 shows this plan included a new ...
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should meet to discuss a solution. Sinn Fein was offered a seat provided that IRA violence was ended. As a result the IRA declared a cease fire in August 1994 and were followed a month later by a cease fire declaration from Loyalist groups. The Joint Framework Document was drawn up and published in February 1995 as an agreement to set out a plan for a peace process in Northern Ireland. The greatest significance of the Framework Document was that it secured any developing political process to a steady pace and as source 2 shows this plan included a new assembly for Northern Ireland and a North-South council of ministers with powers over a range of issues. It set the ‘agenda’ for the discussions which resulted in the Good Friday Agreement. For the first year, after the adoption of rules of procedure in July 1996, they made little progress, as the decommissioning issue continued to dominate. Multi-party peace talks began chaired by US Senator George Mitchell. Mitchell proposed that disarmament should begin, but this led to a stalling of the talks and the IRA broke its cease fire and violence resumed. On the 20th July 1997, the IRA announced a resumption of its cease fire, opening the way for the entry of Sinn Fein to the negotiations on 9th September. Two of the unionist parties, the DUP and the UKUP, then left the talks. However, the largest unionist party, the UUP, continued to participate. The multi-party conference, under a tired, minority Conservative British government, made little progress through 1996. The election of a strong Labour government, under Tony Blair, in May 1997, re-energised the peace process. Labour, with startling speed, began to draw Sinn Fein into the political process. Within three months, Sinn Fein’s conditions for entering talks had been met and a new IRA ceasefire was announced on 20th July 1997. The way was now set for all-party talks. Northern Ireland's largest party, the UUP, had serious concerns about entering into a process which included Sinn Fein, but calculated that since the British and Irish governments would engineer a settlement anyway, they must attempt to mould it from the inside. The second largest constitutional unionist party, the DUP, angered at the lack of prior decommissioning by paramilitaries, withdrew from the talks. Talks between eight political parties and the British and Irish governments continued until 10th April 1998. A comprehensive agreement was reached on 10th April, its contents was put to the people of Northern Ireland in a referendum on 22nd May 1998. The Agreement recognises the "opportunity for a new beginning" and the need for "reconciliation, tolerance and mutual trust". The Northern Ireland Assembly met to appoint ministers July 15th 1999, but collapses in bewilderment when the Protestant UUP party refuse to appoint Ministers as the IRA had not begun to de-commission their weapons. It seems the only way peace can be brought to the mass confusion and violence of Ireland and Northern Ireland is a complete decommission from both Loyalist and Nationalist parties. Resumption of peace negotiations are to be brought about after an immediate decommission from Sinn Fein, in the hopeful near future.