UVF in decomissioning move

Trevor Hill · June 18, 2009, 12:48:01 PM

from the bbc.

There are strong indications that a Northern Ireland paramilitary group has decommissioned a significant amount of its weapons.

It is believed the government was told of the Ulster Volunteer Force move.

General John de Chastelain, the head of an international decommissioning body, is believed to have witnessed the act.

The commission said it would not comment other than to say "we expect to be reporting to the government at the end of August".

Four years ago the IRA put its weapons "beyond use" in decommissioning witnessed by two churchmen.

The move comes ahead of Secretary of State Shaun Woodward's August deadline for significant progress on loyalist arms.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson said any move by loyalists towards decommissioning would be "welcome".

"Over the last nine months the DUP has been engaged in ongoing discussions with both the UDA and UVF leaderships," he said.

"The objective of the discussions has been to assist the organisations' transformation from paramilitary organisations into people who are playing their full part in a peaceful and democratic Northern Ireland with violence and criminality being firmly a thing of the past."

Murder

He said they were aware the groups had been engaging with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, but said they did "not want to pre-empt the outcome of this process".

Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said the move showed "the progress that Northern Ireland has made".

"Although the timing is somewhat later than we had hoped, we do welcome this move as the way forward and we will be working on the ground to ensure that it is completed," he said.

Alliance leader David Ford said the development appeared to be significant.

"For decades, paramilitary groups from both sides have held communities in their grip of fear. I hope that this move will lead to the end, not simply another endgame,"he said.

The UVF was formed in 1966 and is believed to have murdered more than 500 people during the Troubles.

In 2007 it declared that it was renouncing violence.

The UVF announced just over two years that it had put its weapons beyond the reach of its membership.

The Ulster Defence Association has also been engaged in a series of meetings with the general, but it is not yet clear if the organisation has started the process of decommissioning.

ziggysego · June 18, 2009, 12:51:34 PM

If it is deemed to be true, then this is a welcomed development. I shall wait to August and see what the report says.

Orior · June 18, 2009, 12:53:12 PM

Some of their arsenal must be stones - because last night they threw them out.... into a house occupied by Romanians.

Maguire01 · June 18, 2009, 12:56:38 PM

I'm not convinced that decommissioning makes much difference. It's symbolic of course, but if people want to go back to violence in a couple of years, these actions won't stand in their way.

orangeman · June 18, 2009, 01:06:50 PM

How much did they get from them ?

lynchbhoy · June 18, 2009, 01:20:28 PM

I'll want to see the photographs first ! ! !!

there must be bonus for this, if I recall correctly there are ~~handouts~~ sorry grants fo 'political groups' who are no longer millitarily active
so by stating they have decommissioned , I presume they are not going to apply for some grant/cash/handout ?
theres always a reason for actions out of the blue, and there most def is one here when these lads are involved !

lynchbhoy · June 18, 2009, 01:20:54 PM

Quote from: Maguire01 on June 18, 2009, 12:56:38 PM
I'm not convinced that decommissioning makes much difference. It's symbolic of course, but if people want to go back to violence in a couple of years, these actions won't stand in their way.

amazingly I agree with this

nifan · June 18, 2009, 01:30:38 PM

Stopping drug dealing would probably be more constructive

NAG1 · June 18, 2009, 01:46:23 PM

But then where would the get their money from?

Maguire01 · June 18, 2009, 01:47:47 PM

Grants.

Orior · June 18, 2009, 01:56:32 PM

The only way to stop drug dealing is to legalise some of it and then focus resources on stopping the hard drugs.

Donagh · June 18, 2009, 02:39:54 PM

Any chance of a photo?

ziggysego · June 18, 2009, 02:41:25 PM

Quote from: Donagh on June 18, 2009, 02:39:54 PM
Any chance of a photo?

MW · June 19, 2009, 12:13:52 AM

About f**king time.

That said, this is a welcome development.

Poignant that its the 15th anniversary of one of the UVF's most notorious mass murders.

lynchbhoy · June 19, 2009, 09:53:07 AM

Quote from: MW on June 19, 2009, 12:13:52 AM
About f**king time.

That said, this is a welcome development.

Poignant that its the 15th anniversary of one of the UVF's most notorious mass murders.

I suppose it is,
however its about as useful as declaring that slave trading is now banned !

more or less pointless in the modern day/ current climate as these no longer exist!