The call came in Belfast just after 1000 BST on Monday morning and, within an hour, BBC News Online was carrying details of the IRA's second act of decommissioning around the world.

In between times I had met a spokesman for that organisation.

He had a statement signed by P O'Neill - the name used by the IRA to authenticate messages from its leadership.

For weeks there had been speculation that that group was on the verge of another arms move.

It had been expected before Easter, but for some reason was delayed.

In the statement read to me by the IRA spokesman, the leadership of that organisation said it had taken "another initiative to put arms beyond use".

John de Chastelain confirmed latest IRA move

It had happened after "detailed discussion" between the IRA and the IICD - the international decommissioning body headed by the Canadian general John de Chastelain.

And the IRA said it had moved so that the peace process could be "stabilised, sustained and strengthened".

It accused others of not fulfilling their obligations and said there were those too who were trying to undermine the peace process.

The latter seems directed at security sources who are now linking the IRA to the break in at the Castlereagh police complex and to the theft of documents from a Special Branch office.

Republicans are adamant that the IRA was not involved.

So why has the IRA moved now?

The organisation sets its "initiative" in the context of a commitment to the peace process and to the dialogue it is involved in with the de Chastelain Commission.

But for republicans there are other benefits.

It has taken all this time to get the IRA to move twice

They will be hoping that, for now at least, this "initiative" will remove the issue of arms from the agenda, both in terms of unionist demands and as a potential irritant during the general election campaign in the Republic of Ireland.

When the IRA first moved last October, some left the organisation in protest at arms "being put beyond use" and the leadership will have assessed the likely internal reaction to this latest action.

It would not have happened had the IRA army council felt unable to manage its organisation.

In its statement the IRA said: "We fully appreciate the difficulties this causes for republicans.

"However, the IRA is a highly disciplined and committed organisation.

"This is a leadership initiative. We are relying on the discipline and commitment of our support base and our volunteers."

In its Easter message, the IRA army council had pointed to recent Sinn Fein successes - to unprecedented levels of support in the last elections in Northern Ireland.

It said: "The army (IRA) recognises that there is the potential to replicate this progress in the coming months in the 26 Counties (Republic of Ireland).

"It is the duty of all republicans and nationalists to support this project. More and more people understand and embrace the republican analysis.

"Their voice and their demand for the reunification of Ireland grows stronger by the day."

'Event'

The "project" is the peace process and the IRA clearly sees that progress is being made - that republicans are making advances.

It has moved again on the arms issue, far enough away from the Irish election, not to be accused of trading guns for votes.

The de Chastelain commission has been involved in a "continuing active engagement" with the IRA since last October which has involved a number of meetings since then.

Sources close to the commission had felt another "event" was likely and now that it has happened the spotlight will switch to the loyalist organisations and to the matter of reciprocation.

But de Chastelain does not intend to hang around forever.

On Monday morning he told me this was an "important mission", that he wanted to "stay engaged" but he said it "had to start moving".

Along the way his patience had been "tried" and his expectations "strained" and, in terms of a process of decommissioning, what he wants is something that is "regular, convincing and which has an end in mind".

But he realises he cannot dictate the pace on this one.

That is a matter for the IRA and for the loyalist organisations.

It has taken all this time to get the IRA to move twice.

There has been nothing from the main loyalist paramilitary organisations and this is a process which is going to take a considerable amount of time to complete.