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A woman lays flowers on the scene where journalist Lyra McKee was shot. REUTERS / Clodagh Kilcoyne

In the night of Thursday to Friday, violence in Londonderry has killed one in Northern Ireland, a 29-year-old journalist, Lyra McKee. The riots started during a search of the police who seized weapons in a nationalist district. A man fired on the police, near which stood the young woman. This violence occurs in a context of historical tensions, revived in particular by the disorders related to Brexit.

The violence of the night is blamed by the police on the New Irish Republican Army, a small group born in 2012. Tensions have never completely disappeared in Northern Ireland since the peace agreements , and these groups are still numerous.

" There is a nebula of republican groups that are said to be dissident, that is to say, who have moved away from the IRA at the time when it decided to embrace the peace process ," says Agnès. Maillot , Lecturer at Dublin City University. " These groups want a reunification of Ireland and consider that the IRA did not finish its job, which was to reunify Ireland by the much needed violence ".

Political Violence and Organized Crime

The specialist from Ireland recalls that these groups are " very complex ". They " call themselves the true heirs of the historic IRA, which gained independence for part of the island at the beginning of the century " but also mix with " elements of organized crime ". This is particularly the case of the New IRA, which is " a merger of an old IRA with a local militia involved in disputes over drug deals, etc., " says Agnès Maillot.

" This is the fourth assassination since 2012 , so they still have an ability to harm that is constant and has alerted the police. They intervened in this district to warn of attacks that could have taken place during the Easter weekend , "during which the Republicans celebrate the uprising that occurred across Dublin in 1916, which led to the proclamation of a republic. 'Ireland.

Twenty-one years ago, on that same Good Friday, the people of this island chose peace, democracy, political coexistence and closer cooperation. We will not let ourselves go back to the past ... Sectarian violence has no place or justification today in Northern Ireland or Ireland. The culprits do not share the values ​​of our nation. We reject theirs ...

Leo Varadkar

Irish Prime Minister

19/04/2019 - by Julien Lagache Listen

The chaos of Brexit

But beyond the historical context, Brexit and the uncertainties it brings to Northern Ireland also revive violence and hostility between communities. " Brexit has further widened what separates the two communities, " confirms the lecturer at Dublin City University.

The central role of the DUP in the crisis in the United Kingdom is an example. " The fact that May's government has allied itself with one of the union parties - which allows it to stay in government - is extremely complicated because, at the time, the British government took sides. This deepens the differences that already existed between nationalists and unionists. On the other hand, there is no more government, so this political vacuum that has existed since January 2017 complicates things more because the only spokespersons for Northern Ireland are union members of the DUP. Nationalists therefore feel underrepresented. "

This is added to uncertainties and confusion that promotes violence, notes Agnès Maillot. " Obviously, there will always be, in this immense chaos created by Brexit, more violent elements, more radical, which will profit from the situation. And they are absolutely convinced that violence can work. So Brexit does not help, and in particular if we talk about a solid border between the Republic and Northern Ireland, it will create even more tension. "

In January, the explosion of a car bomb in Londonderry had already caused fears of a new outbreak of violence from paramilitary groups, in full tension on the Brexit.