The British government’s intentions to violate the Good Friday agreement become an opportunity for radical Irish republicanism.
As News Front previously reported, chances of signing a trade agreement between London and Brussels have dwindled after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to withdraw from the Brexit deal on the Irish border. In this regard, the European Union is ready to initiate a lawsuit, which may end with fines and even sanctions for Britain. In addition, preparations have already begun in Brussels to end trade cooperation with the kingdom.
However, the failure of the negotiations is not the only problem for the British government. Johnson’s decision to create a border between the two Ireland trampled on the Belfast Accord, which ended the long-standing Irish conflict.
As noted by the publication “Foreign Policy”, London has already realized the grim prospects of destabilization, as the security forces carried out an entire operation to capture members of the New Irish Republican Army. A dozen people were arrested, but the escalation of tension in the region will help compensate for these losses.
The new IRA was established in 2012. Then the organization consisted of about three hundred active members. Like its predecessor, the New IRA seeks to unify Ireland. Brexit was an excellent opportunity for Republicans to strengthen their positions, especially since in Northern Ireland, the majority opposed leaving the European Union.
The Irish Republican Party, Sinn Fein, insists on raising the issue of Irish unification in a referendum. Brussels also reacted to this, promising Northern Ireland to return to the EU if the people support the idea of reunification. But not all Republicans agree to Sinn Fein’s peaceful methods.
“Brexit forced the IRA to reorient itself and only emphasized that Ireland remains divided. It would be an omission on our part not to take advantage of this opportunity”, – a member of the group said in a comment to reporters.
According to some reports, the New IRA was already planning an attack, and exactly against the background of negotiations on Brexit. It was this fact that could cause a special operation of the security officials with arrests. However, such measures do not solve the main problem. Because of London’s destructive approach, discussion of republicanism goes far beyond its most dedicated supporters.