One of Northern Ireland’s bloodiest loyalist terrorist groups announced yesterday that it was ending its “military role”, but would hold on to its arms.

The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), which has killed more than 500 people since it was formed in 1966 and carried out some of the Province’s worst atrocities, said that its weapons were “beyond reach”.

Tony Blair said that the announcement proved the success of the peace process, but the commission established to oversee the destruction of terrorist weaponry said that it was concerned.

The announcement, which was also issued on behalf of the Red Hand Commando, was read by Gusty Spence, a veteran UVF leader who served a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of a Roman Catholic barman.

The statement said that the decision was taken after a three-year consultation process with “all units and departments of our organisation” and against a background in which mainstream republican violence had ended and the United Kingdom was safe.

“Commensurate with these developments, as of twelve midnight the Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando will assume a nonmilitary, civilianised role,” it said. “All recruitment has ceased. Military training has ceased. Targeting has ceased and all intelligence rendered obsolete. All active service units have been deactivated. All ordnance has been put beyond reach.”

The UVF said that the measures were taken “in an earnest attempt to augment the return of accountable democracy to the people of Northern Ireland and to engender confidence that the constitutional question has now been firmly settled. In doing so we reaffirm the legitimacy of our tactical response to violent Nationalism yet reiterate the sincere expression of abject and true remorse to all innocent victims of the conflict.” The statement was signed by “Captain William Johnston; Adjutant”, the UVF equivalent of the IRA’s pseudonymous spokesman P. O’Neill.

The announcement is a prelude to next week’s restoration of a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive presided over by the Rev Ian Paisley, the Democratic Unionist leader, and Martin McGuinness, of Sinn Fein.

The ceremony at the Stormont Parliament in Belfast will be attended by Mr Blair and Bertie Ahern, his Irish counterpart, symbolically signing off on a successful peace process before Mr Blair announces his retirement as Prime Minister.

As Mr Spence was announcing the UVF’s exit, Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness were in Edinburgh meeting Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, for further talks about an economic “peace package” for Northern Ireland. Mr McGuinness said: “An awful lot of people will draw attention to the rather feeble indication in the statement on how they deal with the issue of arms. They will compare that against the courage of the IRA and the willingness of the IRA to put their weapons beyond use.”

Billy Hutchinson, a UVF spokesman, said that the organisation had no history of handing over its weapons. “They have been put beyond reach. If that doesn’t suit people, that’s just too bad. They are not a danger to anybody.”

The UVF’s move will increase pressure on the Ulster Defence Association, the Province’s largest loyalist terrorist group, to follow suit. Recent reports by an expert panel monitoring terrorist activity have found that both the UVF and UDA remain involved in criminality.

The UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando declared a ceasefire in October 1994, just after the IRA’s first cessation, as part of the process that led towards the April 1998 Good Friday agreement. The UVF has committed at least 20 murders since then.

Hours before the statement was delivered at Fernhill House Museum in the Shankill district of Belfast, the Government confirmed its approval of four loyalist restorative justice schemes after a watchdog found no evidence that they were a front for paramilitary gangs.

The International Commission on Decommissioning, led by General John de Chastelain, welcomed the UVF statement but had concerns about how it would deal with its arms. “Without the commission’s involvement their action does not meet the requirement of the decommissioning legislation,” a spokesman said.

Loyalist

Loyalist Volunteer Force

Tiny numbers in Co Down, Antrim and Armagh. “Primarily a criminal concern without any coherent political purpose” (Independent Monitoring Commission)

Ulster Defence Association Splitting into factions based on territory, with movement towards disbandment hampered by criminality. “Heavily involved in violence and other crime, although not in terrorism”

Republican

Provisional IRA

Army Council leadership intact but terrorist capability degraded after disbandment of paramilitary structures

Irish National Liberation Army

“Remains a threat”

Real IRA

“A dangerous organisation capable of extreme violence”

Continuity IRA

“Remains a dangerous organisation”

Oglaigh na hEireann

New splinter group; has carried out attacks on police as well as bomb hoaxes

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