Organizational History 

The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is committed to preserving the union with Great Britain.  Other than this principle aim of the group, more precise action plans have often been elusive in the group’s history, with UVF men finding themselves hard pressed to state in precise terms what they are fighting for, beyond the destruction of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The UVF was formed in 1966 to combat what it saw as a rise in Irish nationalism centered on the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. It adopted the name and symbols of the original UVF, the movement founded in 1913 by Sir Edward Carson to fight against Ireland Home Rule. It was originally formed with the intention of executing “mercilessly and without hesitation” known IRA men. Their first three victims, a Protestant woman and two Catholic men, had no connections with the IRA. It was the murder of Peter Ward, the third victim, which brought the UVF and its leader Gusty Spence to public attention. Membership in the UVF was deemed illegal two days after the killing. By 1970, the group was temporarily neutralized with the arrest of Spence. However, the group has managed to overcome many setbacks and continues to wage a Loyalist campaign. [2] The UVF agreed to a ceasefire in October 1994, although engaged in vigilante activities against criminals in Belfast, as well as internecine conflict with the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) for years to come. In June 2009, the UVF officially decommissioned its weapons in front of independent witnesses. [3]. 

Structure

The UVF has always been smaller and more centralized and had a stable leadership: the core of the most recent Belfast leadership has been active in the organization since the 1970s and has been able to impose its vision on the rest of the organization, similar to the British army and other Loyalist groups.  The UVF is structured along military lines; Northern Ireland is divided into different geographic zones which are assigned a brigade. These brigade zones include North Belfast, East Belfast, South Belfast, West Belfast, Southeast Antrim, Londonderry, and the Border counties.

Funding

Like other Loyalist paramilitaries, the UVF is involved in the supply of drugs, distribution of contraband goods, extortion, money lending, and armed robbery. Some UVF members are also known to use legitimate businesses, notably pubs, clubs, and taxi firms, as cover for illegal operations. Funds are also acquired through robbery; the group was implicated in a series of bank robberies across the west of Scotland in 2002.

Recruitment

Historically, it has always been customary in many Loyalist areas to join paramilitary groups. This aspect of life in Northern Ireland makes recruitment for paramilitaries quite easy, and recruitment drives become fruitful. Some groups even create quotas when too many people want to join. For many impressionable Loyalists in Northern Ireland, the paramilitaries offer the opportunity to fill a void that many experience by growing up in a long disputed area. For others, the paramilitaries hold an allure because of the underground lifestyle and the military training.  As one anonymous UVF member once put it, despite supporting the Good Friday peace agreement, it is still necessary to offer training in the construction and use of weapons to keep the young people interested. 

Tactics

Out of all the Loyalist paramilitaries, the UVF has proven to be the most committed to the peace process. Since 1994, only four civilians who were not connected to a terrorist group were killed. Interestingly, it appears that killings connected to the group were not sanctioned by the top leadership. [4] Throughout the negotiation process leading to the Good Friday agreement and afterwards, the top leadership of the UVF has generally opposed the type of low-level violence that is committed by both Republicans and Loyalists. That said, since 1994 there has been a marked increase in the frequency of arson, vandalism, pipe bombs, rioting, and other incidents committed by group members.

The UVF gained its arsenal in the past through robbery of government and business facilities. One of the most successful robberies occurred in 1972 when an arms depot in Lurgan was robbed of its weapons. Explosives were also obtained from robberies of quarries and from the Belfast docks. The group preferred to steal gelignite and ammonium nitrate. 

Publication

Combat, UVF's Journal

Website

• http://www.theuvf.2ya.com/

Gallery

References

1. Image retrieved from [1] on 08/17/2011
2. Taylor, P. (1999). Loyalists: war and peace in Northern Ireland. New York: TV Books.
3. Independent International Commission on Decommissioning. (2009, September 4). Report of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning. Retrieved from [2] of_the_ independent_international_commission_on_decommissioning.pdf
4. Bruce, S. (2004). Turf war and peace: Loyalist paramilitaries since 1994. Terrorism and Political Violence, 16(3), 501-521.
5. Image retrieved from [3] on 08/17/2011
6. Image retrieved from [4] on 08/17/2011
7. Image retrieved from [5] on 08/17/2011
8. Image retrieved from [6] on 08/17/2011
9. Image retrieved from [7] on 08/17/2011
10. Image retrieved from [8] on 08/17/2011