Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume dies

[DUBLIN] John Hume, the Northern Irish politian who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his role in the British province's peace process, has died aged 83, his family announced on Monday.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that John passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning after a short illness," his family said in a statement.

Hume, the former leader of the mainly Catholic Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), shared the Nobel with David Trimble of the pro-British Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) after the pair helped forge the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.

"The death of John Hume represents the loss of 20th century Ireland's most significant and consequential political figure," SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said in a statement.

"This is an historic moment on this island but most of all it is a moment of deep, deep sadness."

AFP, Reuters

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