The Loyalist Volunteer Force has brought the contentious issue of weapons decommissioning into play once again by its announcement yesterday that it intends to go ahead with a second handover of weapons within the next few weeks.
In a coded statement issued yesterday, the LVF's ruling army council said it had decided to proceed with "the second phase of our arms decommissioning commenced on December 18th, 1998," following a series of discussions with its go-between on decommissioning, Mark Fulton.
The decision to decommission weapons further, the LVF said, had been taken despite "continuous hindrances and lack of co-operation" from authorities in the North.
The LVF statement said, "This second phase decommissioning of arms will involve a physical decommissioning of lethal weapons from our armoury and will take place at a time and place in the near future." This information, the LVF said, was known only to its "intelligence section" and Fulton.
However, the LVF said it would contact the Independent Commission on Decommissioning 24 hours before the actual handover of any weapons to advise it of the details of "this voluntary act of decommissioning".
The LVF said it wished to make it clear that, once the second handover of weapons was completed, it expected reciprocation from the IRA on a ratio of 10:1.
The LVF statement concluded by saying, "no other loyalist paramilitary organisation will be under any moral obligation to commence disarmament until the republican movement makes a substantial decommissioning of arms."
Meanwhile, Pastor Kenny McClinton, who was instrumental in achieving the first handover of terrorist weapons last year, confirmed that he is once again acting as "contact person" between the LVF and the decommissioning body.
Mr McClinton said the LVF weapons handover, which he believed to be "a large consignment of weapons and explosive materials", could take place within weeks. He paid tribute to the work of Fulton, currently in Maghaberry jail, saying that "his role was vital to this second LVF decommissioning gesture".
Mr McClinton went on to say "the LVF believes that the government and Dr Mowlam have neither the resolve nor will to bring the IRA to the decommissioning table. If this really is a peace process, and the democratic will of the people is to be fulfilled, then there is no place in this new society for the weapons of war. The IRA should enter the political arena armed only with strength of argument and philosophy."
The LVF announcement comes just days before Senator George Mitchell is due to begin his review of the Good Friday agreement.