the Ulster Defence Association
/ði ˌʌlstə dɪˈfens əsəʊsieɪʃn/, /ði ˌʌlstə dɪˈfens əsəʊʃieɪʃn/
/ði ˌʌlstər dɪˈfens əsəʊsieɪʃn/, /ði ˌʌlstər dɪˈfens əsəʊʃieɪʃn/
(abbreviation the UDA)
- an illegal 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. It was formed as a legal political organization in 1971, but was made illegal in 1992 after committing acts of violence against Roman Catholics. It 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 Volunteer Force.
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the Ulster Defence Association