Uganda blacklists al Qaeda terrorists

BY VISION REPORTERSTHE Government has added the al Qeada network of Osama bin Laden on the list of terrorists organisation to be outlawed in Uganda under the Suppression of Terrorism Bill yet to be passed.The Third Deputy Premier and Minister for Internal Affairs, Eriya Kategaya, yesterday told Parliament that al Qeada had links with the Allied Democratic Forces which the Bill intends to outlaw.Debate on the Bill kicked off yesterday on a very low key, despite the initial objection by mainly opposition MPs.Other organisations to be declared terrorists organisations are, the Lord’s Resistance Movement and Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA/M) led by Joseph Kony. Kategaya said there were only two areas of contention in the Bill.One area some MPs are opposed to is Section 14 of the Bill, which gives powers to the minister through a statutory instrument to declare any organisation a terrorist organisation. The MPs want Parliament to assume that role.The report of the joint committee on legal and parliamentary and defence and internal affairs, noted that the Bill must be balanced in order not to infringe on the constitutional rights, human rights and freedoms of Ugandans.“The law must be effective and at the same time respect the rights enshrined in the Constitution,” said the report read by Adolf Mwesigye.Ken Lukyamuzi (Rubaga South) said while the law was meant to address the post-September 11 attacks on America, there was need to look at causes of terrorism in Uganda.Maj. John Kazoora (Kashaari) said the Bill was long overdue.