Up to this point the dissident republican threat and loyalist decommissioning have been linked issues. But not anymore.

When the dissidents killed those two soldiers and a police officer back in March, the loyalists paused in their move towards decommissioning. They nearly did more than that.

The leadership had to hold back those who wanted to retaliate. And then things were put back on track.

The UVF and associated Red Hand Commando decommissioned substantial quantities of weapons, ammunition and explosives.

And, now, the IMC paints a picture of “an organisation on its way to going out of business”.

The UVF it seems is leaving the stage at a time when dissident activity is assessed at its highest and most serious level. It is not an organisation without guns.

“We cannot rule out that some arms have been retained in some parts of the organisation,” the IMC reported, “or that individual members have sought to acquire weapons on an ad hoc basis outside the organisation’s strategy.”

There is no such thing as complete decommissioning — not on the republican side and not on the loyalist side.

The UDA has a lot of catching up to do. It has made just a start to decommissioning and has until February to do much more.

But could the dissident threat give it a reason or an excuse to hold onto its guns?

“People don’t want any knee-jerk reactions,” a senior leadership source told this newspaper.

The message coming through, he said, was: “Don’t be diverted by the dissidents.”

So would the February deadline be met?

“There’s every chance,” the UDA leader responded.

“It would be in the UDA’s best interests to do it,” he said — and “sooner rather than later”.

After decommissioning there will be more for the UDA to do. This IMC report links the loyalist group to drug dealing, robbery, extortion and other criminality. Some of its senior members are involved and others give their personal approval to what is continuing to happen.

The UDA in many parts and places is still in business.