14/09/2005

UVF ceasefire no longer recognised - Hain

The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) ceasefire is no longer recognised by the Government, Secretary of State Peter Hain has said.

Mr Hain confirmed the news on Tuesday following three days of violence in loyalist areas in which some members of the UVF had been implicated.

Announcing his decision, which also outlaws affiliated group the Red Hand Commandos (RHC), Mr Hain said: “I have reviewed the status of all specified and other paramilitary organisations, as I am obliged to do under legislation, and concluded there are sufficient grounds to specify the UVF/RHC. I intend therefore to lay an Order before Parliament to that effect and to seek Parliament’s approval.”

The Secretary of State acknowledged that the actions of the UVF in respect of the ongoing feud, which has claimed the lives of four people, taken together with attacks against the security forces over the course of the past weekend amounted to a breakdown in their ceasefire.

The declaration to specify the loyalist paramilitary group took effect from midnight on Tuesday.

(MB/SP)

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