Northern Ireland: Breakdown in Communications

An 18-month effort to bring stability to Northern Ireland ended abruptly last week as talks among political leaders of the province’s majority Protestant and minority Catholic communities collapsed. Negotiations had barely begun when the leaders fell out over procedural issues, such as where meetings would be held and who would act as chairman.

The final straw came when the Protestant unionists vowed to walk out unless British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Brooke, who initiated the peace plan, canceled a July 16 meeting with the Irish Foreign Minister that is part of a 1985 accord giving Dublin a role in running Northern Ireland. The unionists oppose the Republic of Ireland’s participation, and to avoid a showdown, Brooke called off the peace talks. As the province entered the volatile summer season of Protestant parades, there seemed little hope of salvaging Brooke’s plan.