Talks over Protestant feud in Northern Ireland

Charlene Daly, 11-year-old victim of Protestant fued

BELFAST (Reuters) -- Two political parties linked to feuding Protestant paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland are expected to meet on Thursday to try to halt violence that has left three men dead in recent weeks.

The bloody infighting between the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), also known as the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) has cast a shadow over attempts to end 30 years of sectarian violence.

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Peace in Northern Ireland?

The talks will bring together the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP), the political ally of the UDA/UFF, and the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), which is allied to the UVF.

The UDA/UFF and UVF were once loyalist comrades in arms against anti-British republican paramilitaries but have now turned on each other in what security sources say is a struggle over territory and the spoils of racketeering and drug trafficking.

Three men have been killed, an 11-year-old girl wounded and scores of families forced from their homes in battles between the UVF and the UDA/UFF's "C Company," which is based in the fiercely loyalist Shankill Road area of Belfast.

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Thursday's meeting will be held in Belfast but media reports suggested the "exploratory talks" were nowhere near to achieving a quick fix to end the feud. But there was no suggestion the warring paramilitary bands were set to meet face to face.

The commander of the Royal Ulster Constabulary police force, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, welcomed the prospect of talks but said he would not scale down the recently increased numbers of officers and British troops in the Shankill Road area.

"It's not only a security issue, it's a society issue, so people of influence talking together has to be welcomed," he said.

"The situation at the moment is that it has calmed. It has calmed largely because of the presence we have put into areas affected by (the violence). It's not by any means at an end."

David Irvine, a senior figure in the PUP, said he would do all he could to help end the violence.

"We are doing our best to try to create circumstances where exploration can take place. That is not easy," he said.

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson met the PUP and UDP on Tuesday at Hillsborough Castle, his official home near Belfast, but officials denied it was a resolution bid. A PUP official said there were "no proposals made" at the meeting.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Ulster Democratic Party
Ulster Unionist Party
Assembly - Northern Ireland

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