.So the UVF have ‘ditched their ceasefire’. What ceasefire would that be? A ceasefire generally alludes to the cessation of all violence and activities, especially in a civil war setting such as the North. However, while many took the UVF at its word in 2007 that it was going to “leave the stage” and end its campaign, it still held sway in many a Protestant community as an organisation. Let’s not forget, the UVF still has a ‘political wing’ (to coin a phrase) the PUP which, contrary to what some might think, played a pivotal role in the peace process in 1998.
It will come as no surprise however that the UVF, the same UVF that was supposed to be observing a ceasefire all this time was doing nothing of the sort and was involved in all sorts of nefarious, terrorism-related activities, supposedly for God and Ulster. Since its earlier ceasefire in 1994 and until 2019, the UVF has murdered thirty Protestants and loyalists, never mind their natural supposed ‘enemy’ republicans and nationalists and let’s be honest here, Catholics.
Indeed so many murders were carried out by the UVF in such a short period of time after their supposed ceasefire that the British government took the step of declaring it no longer recognised the UVF ceasefire. The murder of Bobby Moffett, a former Red Hand Commando prisoner is a prime example of UVF king-pins ordering hits while supposedly observing a ceasefire. The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) later ruled that UVF bosses sanctioned the murder of Bobby Moffett, although they were meant to be on ceasefire. The IMC said it had been a “public execution sanctioned by UVF leaders.”
Murder isn’t the only currency the UVF deal in. Only recently a massive £3 million drugs haul was captured at Belfast docks by the PSNI connected to two brothers from County Down who are in turn connected to the East Belfast UVF. It was one of the biggest hauls ever captured by police in the North. Indeed as recently as the 1st of April a car was stopped on the Upper Hightown Road in Belfast by the PSNI. This was in relation to an investigation into the drug-dealing activities of East Belfast UVF. Cannabis with a street value of £75,000 and cocaine were seized…and all while on ceasefire.
Ironically, after a decade of murder and gangsterism, while apparently simultaneously observing a ceasefire (quite the feat I’m sure you’ll agree), in 2021 the UVF, UDA, and RHC all withdrew their support for the Good Friday Agreement of which the 1994 ceasefires were precursors. I can’t help but notice this didn’t seem to have the effect the UVF might have thought it would have. There was little mentioned about it other than for a short spell in the media. No disgust en masse of the population of the North, most likely due to the fact the three Loyalist terrorist groups were never really observing a ceasefire and everyone and next doors dog knew it. So for the UVF to come out and say it had “ditched” a ceasefire it failed to observe in the first place denotes the fact Loyalist paramilitaries must take everyone in the North for fools.
When reading what I have written here, note I have mentioned the UDA and RHC but once in generalisation of Loyalist paramilitaries withdrawing support for the GFA. Rest assured, however, each and every paramilitary group is involved in the same nefarious affairs as the next which at times result in not only internal bloodshed but feuds between Loyalist paramilitary groupings…which are also apparently in the defence of Ulster. The UVF were never on ceasefire and while they exist as an entity in any form, community organisation or otherwise, they will never be on ceasefire.
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