| Formed | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Disbanded | Group is active. |
| Updated | November 21, 2014 |
Narrative Summary
Uster DefenceAssociation (UDA)
Other/cover names include the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) and Red Hand Defenders (RHD).The youth wing is called UlsterYoung Militants. The UDA was formedin 1971 out of a number of neighborhood watch groups and vigilanteorganizations in Belfast, which had emerged in response to the outbreak of theTroubles. The UDA quickly became thelargest loyalist paramilitary organization and remained so throughout theTroubles. CAIN estimates its peak membership at 40,000 people.
The UDA used the UFF name as a cover for sectarian killings. Despite the well-established relationship,the UDA itself was not listed as a proscribed organization until 1992. This afforded UDA members greater freedom ofmovement and visibility than other paramilitary organizations throughout the1970’s and 80’s, which they used to their advantage in their active role in theUWC and Loyalist strikes of the 1970’s, as well as during large public shows ofstrength. The UWC was largely madepossible through the organizational support of the UDA.
The UDA has traditionally been a large and decentralizedorganization, now led by an inner council of six regionally-based leaders, eachwith veto power. Andy Tyrie had thelongest tenure in control of the organization, from 1973 until he was forced tostep down in 1988. His departure createda power vacuum within the organization which created the opportunity for a newgroup of younger militants (like Johnny Adair) to rise to power. He was replaced by the six-member innercouncil, and UDA leadership never again reached the degree of centralizationthat it had under Tyrie.
Several political wings, or affiliated sources of politicalanalysis, have emerged from the UDA since the 1970’s. Most notably, the Ulster Democratic Party(UDP) participated in the early phase of the Good Friday Agreement talks. However the UDA broke its ceasefire in late1997, and the UDP was expelled from the talks as a result. The UDP failed to generate much electoralsupport subsequently and was formally dissolved in 2001.
In the early 2000’s, the UDA experienced internal divisionsover the continued use of force. Someleaders within the organization such as Johnny Adair in Belfast, maintained ahigh profile, supported ongoing conflict and sectarian violence at interfaceareas, and participated in deadly feuds with the UVF. The organization was largely discreditedduring this period because of the violence and its ties to criminalactivities. The UDA was unable tomaintain the 1994 ceasefires, and in the years after the ceasefires there were 33deaths attributed to the UDA, RHD or UFF (Sutton Index of Deaths). Nevertheless, the UDA managed to decommissionits arsenal in 2010.
Sutton index of deaths: 113 (+ 147 for UFF and 8 for RHD)"
[1]
Leadership
- Andy Tyrie (1973 to March 11, 1988): Tyrie served for 15 years as a leader of the Ulster Defense Association. He was forced to step down as Chairman due to his advocacy of political power-sharing with Republican Catholics, which the more militant faction of the UDA opposed. His resignation after finding his car booby-trapped by a fellow loyalist left a power vacuum in the UDA, which was thereafter led by a committee.[2]
- John McMichael (1977 to December 22, 1987): McMichael was an Ulster Defense Association (UDA) commander and worked closely with UDA leader Andy Tyrie to develop a political strategy for the organization. He was rumored to have been the commander-in-chief of the UDA's military wing, the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). He was killed by a car bomb planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).[3]
- Johnny Adair (1991 to January 2003): Known as "Mad Dog," Adair was among the most notorious loyalist leaders. He rose to prominence in the UDA after the resignation of Andy Tyrie, and was a commander of Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), the military wing of the Ulster Defense Association (UDA). His followers participated in the bloody infighting that characterized the organization in the early 2000s.[4]
Ideology & Goals
External Influences
Loyalists 198 refers to "Lebanese arms."
Political Activities
See Loyalists, 120: "The UDA announced [in 1972] that it would give [William] Craig and his new party [the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party] 100 per cent support."
Relationships with Other Groups
The UDA used the Ulster Freedom Fighter name as a cover for sectarian killings.Despite the well-established relationship, the UDA itself was not listed as a proscribed organization until 1992.This afforded UDA members greater freedom of movement and visibility than other paramilitary organizations throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, which they used to their advantage in their active role in the Ulster Workers' Council (UWC) and Loyalist strikes of the 1970’s, as well as during large public shows of strength.The UWC was largely made possible through the organizational support of the UDA.
References
- ^ http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/organ/uorgan.htm
- ^ Taylor, Peter. Loyalists. London: Bloomsbury, 1999. pp. 198-200.
- ^ Taylor, Peter. Loyalists. London: Bloomsbury, 1999. pp. 162,168-169.
- ^ Moloney, Ed. A Secret History of the Ira. London: Allen Lane, 2002. pp. 414-415, Simpson, Mark. "What's Next for Johnny Adair?" BBC News (online). January 10, 2005. Retrieved August 2, 2012, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4162761.stm, and Oliver,
