Northern Secretary calls on loyalists to follow IRA's lead

Loyalist terror groups need to catch up with the IRA in convincing people in the North they are committed to abandoning paramilitarism and crime, Shaun Woodward said today.

Loyalist terror groups need to catch up with the IRA in convincing people in the North they are committed to abandoning paramilitarism and crime, Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward said today.

After the publication of the latest report assessing paramilitary activity by the Independent Monitoring Commission, Woodward called on loyalist leaders to deliver on their promises by decommissioning their weapons.

"Today's report by the IMC builds on previous assessments that the Provisional IRA is fully committed to pursuing the political path and that it will not be diverted from it," the minister observed.

"In contrast, within loyalism, the pace of real change remains too slow. Loyalism cannot be allowed to lag behind."

In June 2005, the Provisional IRA announced an end to its armed campaign and it completed weapons decommissioning in September of that year.

Sinn Féin signed up in January of this year to participating in policing, paving the way for the party to go into a powersharing government at Stormont in May with Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists.

In loyalism, the Ulster Volunteer Force announced in May it was putting its weapons beyond reach and embarking on a strategy to civilianise the organisation.

The Ulster Defence Association has also said it has been working on a strategy to transform the organisation.

However in-fighting in the organisation over the summer cast doubt on its ability to achieve this objective.

Mr Woodward acknowledged today there were signs within the loyalist leadership that they want to bring their communities out of conflict.

But the Northern Secretary said: "The scenes of street violence in Carrickfergus and Bangor were a stark reminder of Northern Ireland's troubled past.

"The UDA leadership must re-double its efforts if we are to see an end to violence and criminality.

"I welcome the IMC's assessment of the UVF's statement in May which they say represents 'a major turning point' for the organisation. I acknowledge the positive statement by the UVF to abandon violence and criminality.

"But loyalists need to do more to convince society of their bona fides.

"As the report makes clear, decommissioning is the test by which any paramilitary organisation must ultimately expect to be judged.

"As with the Provisional IRA, ultimately loyalists will be judged by what they do, not by what they say.

"I urge both the UVF and the UDA to demonstrate courage and leadership to take the next vital step."

Mr Woodward noted the commission had said dissident republican groups opposed to the peace process remained a threat.

Nevertheless he insisted they would not succeed in destabilising the political institutions at Stormont.

Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan also welcomed the report and said loyalist paramilitaries should seize the opportunity to move away from violence and decommission their weapons.

"It is encouraging that there are elements in the leadership of the two main loyalist groups who are seeking to move these organisations in the right direction," he said.

"It is clear from today's report, however, that there is still some way to go.

"Loyalist groups have an opportunity to leave the past behind and contribute to the new chapter which is being written in the history of Northern Ireland.

"But if they would seize this opportunity their only choice is to now abandon violence and criminality and move towards the decommissioning of their weapons," he said.

He added the state was committed to countering the threat posed by dissident republicans.

"I note with sadness but no surprise that dissident republican groups remain determined to use violent means to undermine the settlement in Northern Ireland, and the peace that so many have striven so hard to achieve.

"The Garda Síochána, in cooperation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), will continue to take any steps necessary to counter the threat posed by these anti-democratic organisations."