QUESTIONS have been raised as to why no unionist leaders have condemned a statement by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in which it announced it would not be standing down or leaving the stage anytime soon.

Reacting to the ongoing crisis in Stormont, the UDA death-squad said it would wait to see how things pan out, but added:

"Rest assured the UDA are still in existence and won’t be leaving any stage whilst republicans of any faction still exist," according to the statement published in The Loyalist magazine.

Sinn Féin MLA Chris Hazzard hit out at unionist leaders for their silence on the issue:

“This is the same UDA which murdered Brian McIlhagga earlier this year and which has continued its involvement in pipe bombings, intimidation, arson, drug dealing and extortion over the past number of years," he said.

Chris Hazzard said the lack of reaction from unionist leaders highlighted their double-standards towards paramilitary activity:

"This is the same UDA whose political wing unionism stood shoulder to shoulder with in an effort to force an Orange march through a nationalist community.

“Perhaps that's why there are no statements or social media posts from the DUP or UUP on the UDA's continued existence or maybe it's just they don't care when it comes to unionist paramilitaries," he said.