Hundreds attend meeting over UDA dispute

Around 200 people have attended a meeting in north Belfast to discuss the current dispute within the UDA in the area.

Members from the Ulster Political Research Group, who speak on behalf of the UDA also attended the meeting at the Ballysillan Leisure Centre to represent the views of the UDA leadership.

The meeting was organised in response to a recent stand-off between rival factions of the paramilitary group at the weekend.

Yesterday, it was announced that protestant clergymen have agreed to work as mediators between both sides in a bid to bring the ongoing dispute to an end.

Earlier in the week, UDA leaders met with members of the north Belfast battalion who have kept their allegiance to the Shoukri brothers after they were suspended from the paramilitary organisation in June.

Since then, tensions between UDA rival groups in the area have remained high, and at the weekend there was a stand-off between both factions, and the UDA leadership held a public show of strength.

A statement issued on Saturday evening by the 'inner council' said that around 80 dissidents had attacked a number of homes in the north Belfast area and stated that the organisation's leadership wanted a "peaceful end" to the dispute and called on police to deal with the situation.

However, the statement warned that if attacks continued, they would respond.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has said that last night's meeting should not have taken place on council property.

Sinn Fein councillor Margaret McClenaghan told the BBC that the gathering amounted to a "UDA rally," and added: "I would just be curious to know, did this go through the City Hall? Who requested this meeting?"

"Or did they just go ahead and hold this UDA rally in one of the facilities belonging to Belfast City Council?

"Ratepayers need an explanation. It is a leisure centre, keep it for the leisure."

(EF)