One of the most lethal Protestant paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, the Ulster Volunteer Force, has officially renounced violence. Over the past 40 years, the group killed more than 540 people, mostly civilians. One of the founders of the paramilitary force, Gusty Spence, made the announcement on Thursday.

Gusty Spence: “All recruitment has ceased, military training has ceased, targeting has ceased, and all intelligence rendered obsolete. All active service units have been deactivated. All ordnance has been put beyond reach.”

The Ulster Volunteer Force, however, stopped short of committing itself to weapons decommissioning as undertaken by the Irish Republican Army.