UDA claim ceasefire to continue indefinitely

THE Ulster Defence Association (UDA) yesterday claimed to have extended its ceasefire indefinitely.

Even though the paramilitary organisation has been blamed for murders, beatings and drug dealing, it insisted the so-called end to military operations, first announced a year ago, would continue.

A statement issued by the UDA’s political wing stressed support for the political process in Belfast.

The statement said: “In order to provide the required space in which these objectives can be further pursued, the Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Young Militants have agreed to the indefinite extension of their military inactivity.”

The UDA announcement followed weeks of negotiations including talks with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy.

Yesterday, Mr Ahern welcomed the announcement.

Mr Ahern’s discussions with Mr Murphy had centred around the treatment of loyalist prisoners in the high-security Maghaberry jail and the need for economic regeneration of working class Protestant communities.

But despite loyalist claims to have abandoned violence, a campaign of attacks has continued on prison officers’ homes in an apparent attempt to achieve concessions at Maghaberry.

Brutal paramilitary-style assaults are also frequent and the UDA has been blamed for a series of killings.

Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness said if the statement marked an end to the UDA’s campaign of sectarian violence then it was welcome.

“Any process of conflict resolution requires collective responsibility and dialogue. Much work has been done by prominent Irish citizens in recent times with representatives of the UDA and I commend those involved,” he said.

Mr McGuinness said it was crucial the UDA immediately ended sectarian attacks which, he said, they had orchestrated.

Meanwhile, the Government was yesterday challenged to make its mind up whether Sinn Fein’s links with an active IRA will be tolerated.

As Foreign Minister Brian Cowen prepared to join Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy at Stormont for a review of the Good Friday Agreement, cross- community Alliance Party Assembly member Seamus Close said fresh allegations of IRA activity posed serious questions.

Mr Close was commenting as a commission set up to monitor paramilitary ceasefires met in Dublin yesterday amid police claims the IRA tried to abduct republican Bobby Tohill in Belfast on Friday night.