Which European adversaries signed a 1998 treaty to end a long-standing bloody conflict?

The 1998 treaty that brought an end to a long-standing bloody conflict was the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, signed on April 10, 1998. This landmark accord sought to resolve "The Troubles," a period of intense ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland. The primary adversaries were broadly identified as Irish Catholics, who largely identified as nationalists or republicans and sought a united Ireland, and British Protestants, who were predominantly unionists or loyalists committed to Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom.

"The Troubles" lasted for approximately thirty years, from the late 1960s until the signing of the agreement in 1998. While often characterized by religious divisions, the conflict was more accurately a complex political and nationalistic struggle with deep historical roots, including centuries of British involvement in Ireland and the 1921 partition of the island. This led to significant discrimination against the Catholic-nationalist minority by the Protestant-unionist government and local authorities in Northern Ireland, fueling the desire for civil rights and ultimately escalating into widespread violence involving paramilitary groups on both sides.

The Good Friday Agreement was a monumental achievement, establishing a framework for power-sharing government in Northern Ireland and addressing contentious issues such as sovereignty, civil and political rights, and paramilitary disarmament. It allowed the people of Northern Ireland to determine their own national affiliation through democratic means and created cross-border institutions, aiming to foster lasting peace and cooperation. The agreement received overwhelming support in referendums held across the island of Ireland, marking a pivotal step towards reconciliation after decades of violence.