A senior figure in an organisation linked to the UDA has unreservedly condemned a loyalist death threat against Irish diplomat Áine de Baróid which forced her to move back to Dublin from Belfast.
This summer Ms de Baróid, who was attached to the British-Irish Secretariat in Belfast from the Department of Foreign Affairs, received what the PSNI believed were serious threats against her life, which necessitated her transferring to Dublin.
Ms de Baróid, in tandem with Dr Martin McAleese, husband of the President, Mrs McAleese, was engaged in outreach work with loyalists, aimed at assisting loyalist paramilitaries move from violence and criminality to a purely political and community work path.
Frankie Gallagher of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is associated with the UDA, condemned the threat and hoped that Ms de Baróid would soon be able to continue her direct work with loyalists.
"I have known Áine for four years and she has carried out very valuable work for loyalist communities, in some instances bringing private entrepreneurs into loyalist areas to see if they could establish businesses in these areas," he said yesterday.
"She has helped bring confidence to loyalist areas without in any way undermining people's sense of Britishness. I know that Áine has received many phone calls from loyalists expressing their support and solidarity for her, and hoping that she will return to work in loyalist communities," he added.
The threats were issued during a power struggle between the mainstream UDA and figures such as André and Ihab Shoukri, who were challenging the UDA leadership. Loyalist and British government sources believe that the threats emanated from what were described as "dissident" loyalist elements.
"These threats came from drug dealers and criminals who have nothing to offer loyalist communities," said Mr Gallagher who added he was sure the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando were not implicated.
Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey said Ms de Baróid carried out good work in working class unionist areas and the threats were a disgrace. "The DUP, as the lead unionist party, have a clear responsibility to address and tackle the issue of unionist paramilitary violence," he added.
SDLP MLA Seán Farren said it was "sad that her efforts to bring elements of loyalism into the wider political and peace process should have led to intimidation from other loyalist elements. We would like to express our appreciation of the work she did, and our determination that this work of bringing everyone into the democratic process must go on so that we can end all intimidation for ever."
Chairman of the Policing Board Prof Sir Desmond Rea also condemned the threats.
