Red Hand Commandos

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The Red Hand Commandos are a Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary group closely linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force.

The RHC were formed in 1972 in the Shankill area of west Belfast by John McKeague (who was also involved with Tara). Membership was strong in the Sandy Row and Shankill Road areas of Belfast, as well as east Belfast and parts of County Down. In 1972 the RHC agreed to become an integral part of the UVF. It retained its own structures but in 'operational' matters agreed to take their lead from the UVF and share arms and personnel (Garland 2001 pg.151). The group was declared illegal in 1973.^[1]

The RHC were part of the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC). The Loyalist Retaliation and Defence Group (LRDG) was believed to be associated with the RHC. The UVF and Red Hand Commando supported the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and maintained a ceasefire from 1994 until the autumn of 2005. On May 3, 2007, along with the UVF, the Red Hand Commandos declared they were renouncing violence and ceased to exist as a paramilitary organisation. The organisation stated that they would retain their weapons but put them "beyond reach" and "under the control of the UVF leadership, but not accessible for use by members". The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning stated this was not acceptable.^[2]

According to the Sutton database of deaths at the University of Ulster's CAIN project, the RHC have killed 13 people, including 12 civilians and one of its own members.^[3]