Q&A: Loyalist statements

BBC News Online asks what the Northern Ireland loyalist statements mean for the peace process.

What have loyalist said in relation to the political process?

There have been two important developments within loyalism. Firstly, the UFF has withdrawn its support for the Good Friday Agreement.

Secondly the Progressive Unionist Party, linked to the other main loyalist paramilitary grouping the UVF, says that it will take no further part in the current phase of talks.

Why has the UFF changed its position?

In its statement, the UFF said: "We find it intolerable that Sinn Fein have gained concession after concession yet there is still a growing erosion of our culture and our heritage."

There has been a lot of confusion within the UDA/UFF over its position over the last few months and security analysts are not surprised by the statement.

Some months ago, the paramilitary group's leadership indicated that the bulk of its membership now opposed the Good Friday Agreement.

In their view, the process to date has been a one-sided peace and political process.

They believe that under the Good Friday Agreement there have been many concessions to republicanism. But, they add, there has been nothing in the three-year-old agreement for loyalism.

So as long as these current talks continue, the UFF is basically saying that any deal that is done will only involve more concessions to the republicans on issues such as policing and demilitarisation.

They do not want any part in a deal if it is constructed in this way.

So what about the position of the other main loyalist paramilitary organization, the UVF?

David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party said that at the moment it is difficult to negotiate any kind of deal when you do not know what you are negotiating.

What this comes down to is that he believes that the republican movement is not being clear about what it wants as its part of the deal.

The issue of the IRA being prepared to put arms "beyond use", to use the organisation's own phrase, is wrapped up in a very complicated political process of "removing the causes of conflict."

David Ervine says that he has asked Republicans what they mean by the causes of conflict - and he says that he has had no satisfactory answer.

So, he says, until he knows the Republican negotiating position, there's no chance of finding an agreement.

So why do republicans say they have made clear what they want to see?

Not in the view of the PUP. David Ervine says that he has been concerned by what he describes as an "ever growing list" of republican demands including British demilitarisation, human rights and quality measures.

But in making these demands, Mr Ervine says, Sinn Fein is ignoring the concerns of loyalists and the unionist community.

So what is the situation on the ground - what implications does this have for peace?

The UFF said in its statement today that its ceasefire remains intact.

There are very few people in Northern Ireland who believe that. Security analysts say that there are elements of the UFF linked to some of the violence that has recently been taking place.

There have been cracks in its ceasefire and the fear is that there will now be more of them.

The concern and the fear throughout Northern Ireland is that when there is a drift among loyalism away from the Good Friday Agreement, there will be a drift away from the ceasefire.

For his part, David Ervine has said that he and his party want "no truck" with the violence.

The current focus has been on the IRA's weapons - what about those belonging to the loyalist paramilitaries?

Neither the UFF nor the UVF have decommissioned any weapons.

David Ervine said in his statement for the PUP that it was entirely a decision for the UVF whether it would remain in contact with the decommissioning body.

Sinn Fein has criticised the decision by the British government not to include the smaller loyalist parties in the current talks, saying that it shows confusion over the arms issue.

The party says that it wants to see all the arms removed from Northern Ireland - though exactly how the IRA fits into this is unclear.

Republicanism's critics say that the key factor in all this is that the loyalists are fringe groups while Sinn Fein are in government.