UDA accepts Catholics suffered

By William Allen
Thursday, 22 February 2007

The UPRG's Billy McQuiston, Colin Halliday, Laura McMinn, Frankie Gallagher and David Nicholl

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A document produced for the UDA says it will have to acknowledge that " the ordinary Catholic community suffered appallingly" as a result of its actions.

It also said the State shares culpability and that as part of any conflict resolution, the IRA must acknowledge its campaign of violence "was not the pure and idealistic liberation struggle it was so often portrayed as being".

The revelation came as UDA leaders voiced their support for peace building and power sharing.

Members of the UDA's Inner Council gathered this week with other leading loyalists in Londonderry's Guildhall to launch a new strategy document, Learning From Others In Conflict: Loyalism In Transition.

Amid calls for the UDA to be legalised, the organisation vowed to wage a political battle to replace decades of armed conflict.

In the document an unnamed member of the Inner Council says: "We fought the IRA when they tried to destroy this country, tried to take away our identity, and we will still fight them.

"But it will be in a different way, not on the battlefield but through the force of our arguments."

David Nicholl, the Ulster Political Research Group spokesman in the North West, said a new path to peace was being forged by the UDA, whose ceasefire has lasted for 12 years.

"It is now a political process that the UDA are engaged in, and they are in favour of powersharing and integrated education and they are prepared to contemplate recognition of Sinn Fein ministers when they are in office.

"The UDA is giving a lead saying they want bread and butter issues tackled, and they want to create an environment in which there is no longer a need for paramilitarism."

However he ruled out disbandment saying: "The IRA hasn't gone away, and the UDA is exactly the same."

The new booklet is the latest in a series of initiatives as the UDA develops a conflict transformation strategy.

Under the heading: Some Final Thoughts, the document said the UDA's wish to play a constructive role was apparent, adding: "The UDA/UFF will have to acknowledge that, although they talked of 'taking the war to the IRA', the ordinary Catholic community suffered appallingly.

Likewise, the IRA will have to acknowledge that their violent pursuit of a united Ireland was not the pure and idealistic liberation struggle it was so often portrayed as being.

"The State, too, has to accept its share of culpability."