Mr Gerry Kelly, the Sinn Fein Assembly member for North Belfast, has blamed "unionist intransigence" for the increasing number of sectarian attacks on nationalist homes in the north of the city.
Speaking at a press conference, called to deal with sectarian tensions in the Whitewell Road area, Mr Kelly accused the North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, of creating a "political vacuum" which was being exploited by loyalist paramilitaries.
"It is a fact that violence decreases whenever the political process works. The key to stopping these sectarian attacks is, therefore, to make the politics work. The unionists hold that key and the British government has the trigger mechanism," Mr Kelly stated.
Asked about decommissioning, Mr Kelly said there was a "fixation with silent weapons". He added: "The reason why I am here today is because, in this area, the weapons are not silent. What we are facing in north Belfast are petrol and blast-bomb attacks, shooting incidents, death threats and families intimidated out of their homes."