OREANDA-NEWS. In the city of Londonderry (Northern Ireland), one of the founders of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, John Hume, died at the age of 83.

This was reported by the portal Thejournal.ie, citing a statement from the politician’s family. “We are deeply saddened to announce that John passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning after a short illness,” the message says.

Hume’s death was reported on the Twitter page of the SDLP. “We all live in the Ireland he imagined – at peace and free to decide our own destiny. Thank you, John,” the party’s message reads.

In 1998, John Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with Ulster Unionist Party leader, David Trimble, for efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. The signing of the Belfast Agreement, concluded thanks to them, helped to resolve the conflict and re-establish the Northern Ireland Assembly, which received the powers of the local parliament.