UDA makes ‘new north Belfast leadership’ claim

One week after the murder of prominent UDA man John Boreland, a group calling itself the ‘North Belfast UDA Brigade staff’ has claimed the organisation has new leadership in the north of the city.

In a statement to UTV, the group said that changes had been implemented from midnight on Friday.

“A new state of affairs has arisen relating to the leadership of the Ulster Defence Association in north Belfast,” they said.

“The past leadership of the North Belfast UDA has been completely stood down.”

According to the group, the move comes “in response to a crisis in confidence in the past leadership”.

The group further claims that the “transition occurred peacefully” and “the community is not to fear the consequences”.

The statement added that the new leadership will be “committed to community development and loyalist common sense politics” and will “offer a policy of discipline, unity and purpose”.

The spokesman was not prepared to identify who the new leaders are, but signed off the statement “North Belfast UDA Brigade staff”.

The statement was issued less than 12 hours after the funeral of John Boreland was held in north Belfast.

One of his close associates Andre Shoukri was among the mourners at the Moravian Church on the Oldpark Road on Saturday.

Detectives investigating the 46-year-old’s killing say their main lines of inquiry focus on “tensions within loyalist groupings”.