UVF stand down - Guns should be put beyond use

CLOUDS of uncertainty surround the decision by one of the main loyalist paramilitary groups, the Ulster Volunteer Force, to stand down its military role.

From now on, the private army will play a non-military, civilianised part in the North’s affairs.

However, while this initiative is to be welcomed, it is worrying that the UVF has not gone the extra mile.

Instead of following the IRA’s example by taking weapons and explosives completely out of commission, the loyalist group, responsible for over 420 killings during the Troubles, has merely put them beyond reach.

While the UVF move is a positive development, the fact that guns have not been put beyond use is a matter of serious concern.

There is a real danger that hardened elements in the organisation, aptly described as gangsters wrapped in flags, may retain their weapons and use them in for criminal ends.

That would be a major setback.