What Problems have arisen in the Peace Process since the Good Friday Agreement?
I am looking at the problems which have arisen since the Good Friday agreement which have taken place and why Northern Ireland can not come to agreements with each other.
The IRA ceasefire started in 1994 after attempts to try and sort it out in 1993, but they still were not the best of starts for the ceasefire in 1994. The year started off with the Republicans who asked for an explanation of the Downing Street Declaration, this obviously meant that the Republicans were not very happy with the current Declaration. Then later in the month of January there was even more tension that there already was when President Clinton came over from the United States and gave Gerry Adams a VISA to go and meet Irish-American groups the Unionists did not feel very happy by this as they thought that Gerry Adams was only going over to America so he could go and visit the groups and get money to pay for arms to support the IRA. This was not the chase though as the Irish-Americans changed ideas and put them across by John Hume when he met up with Gerry Adams to discuss the party’s ideas. This was a change for the Republicans and they announced a ceasefire on 31 August. This was the beginning of a new debate; the Unionists did not want this as they wanted to see the Republicans hand over the weapons and produce evidence that they were doing this. It was really harsh on the Republicans as this would humiliate them in front of the public and the ministers and then they would be labeled and probably targeted. The Good Friday Agreement was set up in 1998, Tony Blair Prime Minister of the UK appointed Mo Mowlam to be secretary of Northern Ireland this was a important part in the Agreement as she was a a important piece in the peace process, this was a difficult job and not anyone could do it she had problems with the IRA causing violence, and negotiating with both ways how to make the peace process work and through this was very liked by Unionist and Republicans. The peace process was going at a tough stage when Sinn Fein took part in the peace process, but did not help it by not giving making the IRA give up its weapons. Then the Unionists were at crises when they where divided because many people did not want to sit down and talk to Sinn Fein while the IRA still had its weapons. Then in September the DUP did no want to participate in the peace process anymore. Then things changed in the IRA some members did not want to be part of it anymore because they did not want to have peace in Northern Ireland and set up their own group the real IRA. In 1998 people though that the paramilitary groups would pull out of the peace process and this would cause problems as there wouldn’t be peace if the paramilitary did not stop the violence. But many of the paramilitary groups changed their minds and stayed with the peace process when Mo Mowlam went and visited many paramilitary prisoners and ensured them they would be released if the peace process went ahead. There were some paramilitary groups that did not agree with the peace process these were only splinter groups though and the majority were in favour. The agreement weren’t going to great as there were more shootings Bill Clinton worked behind the scenes in trying to get the peace process to work. From April Tony Blair, Bertie Aherne and the Northern Ireland leaders were trying so hard to negotiate ideas at Stormont. On the 10 April there was finally a agreement, the people of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were asked whether they were in favour of the Good Friday Agreement, and both said yes with a large majority in favour this was a great achievement but only a step into the right direction of achieving peace. The good Friday agreement stated that: a new Northern Ireland Assembly with 108 members would be set up. All key decisions would require the consent of both communities in the province. This meant that they had to agree both Republicans and Unionists on aspects. A North-South Council of members would also be set up, made up of members of the new assembly and ministers from the Republic. This meant that ministers from north and south Ireland had to be in the assembly. The Irish government would remove Articles 2 and 3 of its constitution, which claimed that the North as part of its territory (subject to a referendum of the people of the Republic). There would be a review of policing in Northern Ireland. Early release for paramilitary prisoners was promised. These are hard accomplishments but need to be done to benefit the peace process in Northern Ireland.
