THE UDA has given the decommissioning body headed by Gen John de Chastelain a commitment that it will put its weapons beyond use by next February.
In his latest report to the British and Irish governments, Gen de Chastelain confirmed a start to this process by the largest loyalist paramilitary group in the North has been made, and that decommissioning moves by the smaller and more disciplined UVF in June had been completed.
The head of the Independent, International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) added that the UDA’s decommissioning is expected to be completed within six months, when his commission’s mandate expires.
Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward and Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern greeted the report as welcome and significant.
“This clearly confirms that significant progress has been made in taking paramilitary weapons out of use,” Mr Ahern said.
“The emphasis must now be on resolving differences through political means. I believe it vindicates the view of the two governments that the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning should be allowed to complete its task.”
He paid a “generous tribute” to the members of the commission, praising them for their “patience, skill and determination in this difficult task”.
“We owe them a tremendous debt,” he added.
Mr Woodward said the report was “hugely significant”.
“Northern Ireland has been transformed over the past decade and the work of Gen John de Chastelain and the IICD has helped society to move away from conflict and towards peace,” he said.
“The end is in sight for the decommissioning process. So much has been achieved by the IICD since it was established, and I would urge all groups to continue to work with the commission and put their arms beyond use before the scheme comes to an end in February.”
Frankie Gallagher of the UDA-associated Ulster Political Research Group said: “We always had confidence it was going to get to this stage, although there were those who tried to deride the processes and hype things up.
“It was never going to be an easy process and we are very pleased that we have got to this stage.”
Gen de Chastelain confirmed, along with IICD colleagues Norwegian brigadier Tauno Nieminen and Andy Sens, from the US, they had seen at first hand the putting beyond use of the UVF’s arsenal.
But his reports concerning the UDA, with its disparate “brigades” structure and propensity for internal disputes and splits, have encouraged both governments.
The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), the governments’ ceasefire watchdog, has already reported its fear that the splitting of the UDA into component parts presented a serious problem.
The IMC is currently treating the so-called South East Antrim brigade of the UDA as a separate organisation as it had split from the main UDA.
The IICD said that despite these difficulties and rumours over sharp dissension among loyalists in Derry and north Antrim, it expected decommissioning to be successfully completed by February when the legislation giving rise to the IICD expires.
The British government had already warned that special powers to set up the IICD and which enable weapons to be put beyond use without prosecution will lapse in February in accordance with the government’s timetable.