UDA leaders discuss funding threat with SDLP minister
28/09/2007 - 07:46:41Senior UDA members have met the SDLP minister who is threatening to block funding aimed at getting them to give up violence.
Margaret Ritchie has told the loyalist paramilitary group that she will halt the funding from the British Government if it does not end criminality and start decommissioning its weapons by October 15.
The British Government is paying £1.2m (€1.7m) to the illegal organisation as part of a "conflict transformation initiative".
The money is designed to prompt the group to end its illegal activities and to help it retrain members as community workers.
Ms Ritchie says she is not going to negotiate with the UDA on the matter and last night's talks were only arranged to give her an opportunity to hear the group's arguments.
