Twenty-five years later, the Good Friday Agreement remains a truly remarkable political achievement: the end of a decades-long conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and threatened the stability of the UK.
When US President Joe Biden arrives next week to celebrate what can rightly be called a modern-day political miracle, he will highlight what has been achieved, but also what remains to be done.
I was about twenty-five when my London docks office was destroyed by an IRA truck bomb parked in our car park, killing two boys from whom I had just bought an evening paper.
One tragedy among many. But after decades of violence, Northern Ireland has enjoyed a solid, if fragile, peace for 25 years. Belfast is now a thriving city and the Northern Ireland Assembly has been the voice of all parties most of the time.
Now the political factions in Northern Ireland must put aside their deep divisions and return to Stormont to uphold this fragile peace.
The intervention of Sir Tony Blair, who played such an important role in the Good Friday Agreement, is timely. We must remember that this world was not accidental, but hard-won and must be protected. Blair calls on all parties to be vigilant as this delicate truce enters a new and risky era. The current leaders in Westminster and Stormont should heed his warning.
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Source: I News
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.