Despite recent statements from the "army council" of the Loyalist Volunteer Force that its war is over, there is evidence that some grassroots elements are angry at the decision and oppose the leadership's strategy.
The dissidents, some of whom joined the LVF from other loyalist groups, are mainly based in the Dungannon and Cookstown areas of Co Tyrone. They object to last Friday's LVF statement and the organisation's contact with the decommissioning agency, citing as their reason the recent series of bomb attacks by republic splinter groups.
They say these attacks indicate that some republican elements will never renounce their campaign of violence, irrespective of any political development.
Even in Portadown, known to be the power base of the LVF, there have been rumblings of discontent. A source close to the loyalist group said yesterday: "A lot of hardliners in Portadown feel let down by this decision [to declare a ceasefire]. When Billy Wright was murdered the leaders took an oath to carry on and see through the strategy that Billy had devised. "Now seven months later they have walked away from that oath. There is anger at this decision." Any fragmentation of the LVF could cause problems for the security forces. In recent months the organisation has attracted many disaffected UFF members from Belfast and south Antrim.
Renegade LVF members could also threaten the proposed decommissioning of weapons, which could happen very soon, possibly before the first sitting of the Assembly.