the Ulster Volunteer Force
/ði ˌʌlstə ˌvɒlənˈtɪə fɔːs/
/ði ˌʌlstər ˌvɑːlənˈtɪr fɔːrs/
(abbreviation the UVF)
- a Protestant military group in Ulster (= Northern Ireland). The group wants Ulster to remain a part of the United Kingdom, and used violence to oppose the IRA. The present group was formed in 1966, but an earlier group with the same name was formed in 1913. The group declared a ceasefire in 1994 and made an official statement in 2007 that it had ended the use of violence. Other similar groups include the Ulster Freedom Fighters and the Ulster Defence Association.
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the Ulster Volunteer Force