US concerned by Northern Ireland violence

WASHINGTON

The US is concerned by violence in Northern Ireland, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday, one day after police officers were attacked and a public transport bus was set on fire in Belfast.

Jen Psaki said the US joins the British Irish and Northern Irish leaders in their calls for calm.

"We remain steadfast supporters of a secure, and prosperous Northern Ireland in which all communities have a voice, and enjoy the gains of the hard-won peace," Psaki said at a news conference

"We welcome their provisions in both the EU-UK Trade and cooperation agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol which helps protect the gains of the belt the Belfast Good Friday Agreement," she added.

More than 40 police officers have been injured during unrest, which has continued since Saturday.

The unrest started when Sinn Fein members attended a crowded funeral on top of tensions caused by Brexit border arrangements, which brought checks on goods shipped between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Fragile peace

Northern Ireland is remembered for its decades-long sectarian violence and terrorism, which cost thousands of lives until around 22 years ago.

The Troubles -- an era of conflict between the British government and pro-British paramilitaries on one side and Irish Republicans and nationalists on the other --ended in 1998 when the Belfast Agreement put an end to decades of armed struggle in the divided UK region of Northern Ireland.

The UK and the Republic of Ireland signed the deal, brokered by the US and eight political parties in Northern Ireland on April 10, 1998.

The deal, dubbed the Good Friday Agreement, largely saw the end of the Troubles-era violence, in which 3,500 people were killed.