Frank Nyakairu
8 April 2008
Juba — Although the rebel Lord's Resistance Army is still on the US State Department's list of terrorist groups, six rebel representatives will soon travel to New York.
LRA is listed among Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) blacklisted by the Secretary of State in accordance with Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
FTO designations play a critical role in the fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to abandon terrorism.
"We have already got our US visas and we will travel to New York once we have finished signing the Final Peace Agreement to make our case before the UN Security Council," said LRA Chief Negotiator Nyekorach-Matsanga.
It was not possible to get the names of the rebel representatives who have received visas.
At the UN, the LRA said they would accompany the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for northern Uganda, Mr Joaquim Chissano, who is slated to brief the UN Security Council on the progress of the peace talks.
If the LRA negotiators indeed travel to the US, it would be a unique arrangement for persons restricted by the FTOs.
At the UN, the LRA hope to push for a deferral of the International Criminal Court Indictments against their leaders.
The LRA have agreed to sign the agreement but refused to disarm because of the indictments. On Thursday, rebel leader Joseph Kony is expected to sign his part of the agreement from Ri-Kwangba at the DR Congo-Sudan border.
The warlord declined to come to the South Sudan capital, Juba, saying he fears arrest.
Once Kony signs the deal on Thursday, the government is obliged to initiate moves to have the LRA removed from the list of terrorist organisations.
The Reconciliation and Accountability agreement signed earlier in February provides for removal of the LRA/M from the list of terrorist organisations.
The rebels claim that the US State Department would follow suit but Daily Monitor could not independently verify this claim by press time.
Three days to the D-day, the Uganda Government and the LRA were last evening expected to extend the cessation of hostilities agreement to April 15, a day after President Museveni signs his part of the agreement.
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