The British government has blocked a disputed march in Northern Ireland after a tense two-week standoff.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant stepped in Friday night to ban a procession along Garvaghy Road in Portadown, the Associated Press reported via ABC News. He said no compromise could be found between the Orange Order, which supports Northern Ireland staying in the United Kingdom, and residents of the mostly republican area it wanted to march through.

"I've decided that it's not in the public interest for it to proceed, and I've therefore banned the procession," Bryant said, the AP reported.

The Orange Order is a Protestant group. It holds marches, mostly in summer, to celebrate its Protestant roots and ties to Britain. Many Catholic residents, who often favor a united Ireland, see marches through their areas as provocative.

The Garvaghy Road route has been a flashpoint since the 1990s, when standoffs at nearby Drumcree Church led to rioting.

The latest standoff began Sept. 27, when police stopped Orangemen at Drumcree from marching onto Garvaghy Road, UCA News reported.

Ireland's two top church leaders, Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin and Anglican Archbishop John McDowell, called for an "urgent" effort at reconciliation. They urged all sides to use "peaceful and democratic processes." They warned that "too much is at stake."

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely ended decades of violence known as the Troubles. But tensions remain, and leaders fear disputes like this one could stir unrest again. The Orange Order has not said whether it will try to march again.

What we know: the UK government banned the Garvaghy Road march after a two-week standoff.
What we don't: whether the Orange Order will try to march again.