Hain: UVF has breached ceasefire
The government will no longer recognise the ceasefire of the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain has announced.
In light of the violence over the summer, which culminated in three nights of riots on the streets of Belfast, Mr Hain said the UVF and Red Hand Commando (RHC) had been “specified” in breach of ceasefire commitments.
More than 60 members of the security forces have been injured in the trouble, which followed the re-routing of a contentious Orange Order parade on Saturday.
More than 63 arrests have been made in the wake of the disturbances.
Mr Hain said yesterday: “I have reviewed the status of all specified and other paramilitary organisations, as I am obliged to do under legislation, and concluded there are sufficient grounds to specify the UVF/RHC.
“I intend therefore to lay an order before parliament to that effect and to seek parliament’s approval.”
Mr Hain held counsel with a Sinn Fein delegation yesterday including Martin McGuinness, Gerry Kelly and Alex Maskey, heightening speculation that the IRA is preparing to decommission more arms by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the Independent Monitoring Commission is set to state the UVF and RHC remain active and are inextricably linked to organised crime.
Separately, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in north Belfast last night called for an end to the violence.
A statement from the UDA said it was instructing members “to avoid any confrontation on the streets and steer away from any acts of violence”.
The statement added: “No longer can we or will we let these types of situations destroy our own communities as it seems the community is the only sufferer in this conflict.”
David Ervine, Assembly member of the Progressive Unionist party, blamed disaffection among protestant youth for the disturbances in Belfast, saying they felt the government had played “footsie” with republicans.
Nigel Dodds MP of the DUP told Channel Four News he felt the government had turned a “blind eye” to the actions of Republican paramilitaries in recent months.
“The IRA broke their ceasefire; they robbed the Northern Bank. The government hasn’t done anything about that.
“This will be the third time that the UDA has been specified and it is all nonsense because the government doesn’t follow any of this with any action.”
