A young family walk past a mural for the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) on Belfast's Shankhill Road in 2005. The main loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland have announced that they are decommissioning their weapons, a new milestone in the journey to peace after decades of unrest. (AFP/File/Cathy Mcarthur)From Yahoo News/AP:
BELFAST (AFP) – The main loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland announced Saturday they were decommissioning their weapons, a new milestone in the journey to peace after decades of unrest.
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and Red Hand Commandos (RHC) have reportedly killed around 1,000 people between them during several decades of unrest known as the Troubles.
"The dark days are now behind us and it is time to move on," the UDA said in a statement. "There is no place for guns and violence in the new society we are building. It is time to work for a better future."
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Update: N.Ireland's pro-British paramilitaries dump arsenal -- Reuters
My Comment: I am sure that a considerable number of arms are still hidden in people's attics, bedrooms, and basements. But this is still significant progress, and a very positive development.