THE UVF leadership may not be in full control of the loyalist organisation, the British and Irish paramilitary watchdog has warned.
The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) used its 25th and final scheduled report, published yesterday, to add to warnings about the capacity of dissident republicans – especially the Real IRA.
The four commissioners said that of the two factions that comprise the Real IRA, Óglaigh na hÉireann is by far the more dangerous. They further warned that dissident capacity to plant and, more importantly, detonate explosive devices was markedly up during the six months under review. However the IMC also called for a sense of perspective and contrasted the paramilitary situation with earlier years.
“It remains our view, as we said in our report six months ago, that in terms of weapons, money, personnel and support, the present dissident campaign in no way matches the range and tempo of the Provisional IRA campaign of the Troubles,” it said.
“In the North and South combined, some three times the number of dissidents have been charged with terrorist offences including membership, from January to October 2010 as in the whole of 2009, and the number of arrests nearly doubled.”
Turning to the loyalist paramilitary groups, the commission warned that the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force were continuing to recruit and claimed this was inconsistent with any ceasefire.
Regarding the UVF, which it has held responsible for the murder of Shankill loyalist Bobby Moffett last May, the commissioners took the view that the leadership may not be in full control and in a position to deliver on earlier commitments to run down the organisation.
The British and Irish governments agree that the IMC will be wound up after monitoring paramilitary activity on both sides of the Border for the past six years.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern and Northern Secretary Owen Paterson confirmed the decision yesterday.
The governments praised the four commissioners for their detailed assessments since 2004.
“The British and Irish governments have, therefore, asked the IMC to prepare one more final report . . . after that, we will bring the IMC arrangements to an end,” Mr Paterson said.
The commission’s wrap-up report is expected in late February or early March.
Lord [John] Alderdice, one of the commissioners, agreed the body’s work was nearly finished. “We have repeatedly said . . . all the elements of the peace process which are not meant to be permanent should step down,” he said. “And that includes the IMC.”