Northern Ireland Security Minister Jane Kennedy gave a blunt message to the
warring people of divided north Belfast today - learn to live together.
Sectarian tensions have been rife in the area for months with often nightly clashes between rival nationalist and loyalist factions.
The minister spoke out after visiting a primary school in the Limestone Road where teachers and governors expressed concerns about the effect disturbances in the area were having on the school which has seen a fall of in the number of pupils attending.
The meeting went ahead after the North Belfast Democratic Unionist Party MP, Nigel Dodds, called for greater security in the area.
But the minister said: "Physical security, in the end, will not resolve the underlying community problems that we see exhibited when we see the religious violence and hatred and bigotry being portrayed between two communities."
She said in the end "they have to learn to live together if they are going to have a future here."
Ms Kennedy said local communities needed a period of calm in order to re-establish real relationships and genuine dialogue.
She expressed appreciation for the efforts that were going on behind the scenes to restore that calm.
She added: "I would encourage all of those in the community who are engaged in trying to bring to an end the all-too-frequent violence that we have seen on the Limestone Road, to redouble those efforts for the sake of all of the children in the area and for the future of all of North Belfast."
There were minor clashes again in North Belfast last night with petrol bombing by rival factions and attacks on at least two homes.
In neighbouring Newtownabbey police today seized nine petrol bombs, 650 bottles and other component parts for petrol bombs.
PA
