The British government will today detail its response to the announcement by the UDA that it is to end all violent activity to facilitate moves towards a final political settlement. Dan Keenan, Northern News Editor, reports.
Mr Paul Murphy, the Northern Secretary will give his assessment of the move to the House of Commons this afternoon. He is also due to meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Dublin on Wednesday.
The UDA announcement was made at a Remembrance Sunday gathering in the strongly loyalist Rathcoole area outside north Belfast by Mr Tommy Kirkham of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the UDA.
In his address yesterday to some 2,000 loyalists, Mr Kirkham said: "From today we are prepared to move into a process. Our commitment to that process will be to work towards a day when there is no longer a need for a UDA and a UFF." He said all violent activity would cease, decommissioning would proceed subject to the perceived republican threat, and that loyalists would dedicate themselves to community politics.
"We will engage with the decommissioning commission, though we must be satisfied there is no longer any threat to our community from without or within. Furthermore, we need to be certain that this latest attempt to find a political settlement is for real."
Both the Irish and British governments responded positively, if cautiously. A range of sources in both Belfast and Dublin greeted the announcement, but cautioned they took nothing for granted. All insisted that the paramilitary group's words had to be followed by action.A well-placed source, questioned on the British government's likely immediate response, said the next steps in the process "are up to them [ the UDA and the Ulster Political Research Group]".
Asked what the British government's pay-back would be, he said he was "not aware of any additional measures in the short-term".
However, it is understood that any forthcoming UPRG proposals to enhance depressed loyalist areas would be considered positively.
Arthur Beesley, Political Reporter adds: The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has left the door open for Sinn Féin's participation in Government if the IRA decommissioned all its weapons, eliminated paramilitarism and was no longer operating as a private army.
In an interview with TV3, Mr Ahern said he had no difficulty dealing with Sinn Féin on the same basis as the former Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, dealt with former Workers Party figures such as Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte.
UDA ceasefire welcomed at UUP conference : pages 6 and 7