The signing of the Belfast Agreement in 1998 brought an end to decades of extreme political violence in Northern Ireland. But more than 20 years later, the peace process still faces threats and both loyalist and republican paramilitary groups continue to operate.
Since 2016, annual security statistics in Northern Ireland have shown a general decline in terrorist activity against the state and its institutions. And the UK government also recently reduced the threat level from Northern Ireland-related terrorism from “severe” to “substantial” – meaning an attack is considered to be “likely” but not “highly likely”. This is the first time in 12 years that the threat level has been lowered.
But difficulties surrounding the Northern Ireland protocol – the post-Brexit arrangements for cross-border trade between the UK and EU – have unsettled significant sections of the unionist and loyalist community. Just days after the threat level was lowered, a loyalist paramilitary group was blamed for a bomb hoax that led to Northern Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney being evacuated from an event in Belfast.
