Kampala — In his article "Peace is a strange phenomenon to Kony," published in the New Vision of September 24, Samuel Obura expressed his pessimism at the likelihood of Kony signing the Juba Peace agreement.

He said: "Expecting Kony to understand and appreciate the word 'peace' let alone signing a peace deal is like winking at a beautiful girl in a dark room, she will not notice it.

Kony will waste the Government's time till he dies of natural causes. Kony knows he does not deserve to live in a modern society, so he is not signing any peace deal. Any attempt to sign one is part of the peace jokes but a better time to re-enforce his barbarian army."

Robert Khaemba Modoi too in his article "No peace deals with killers" of September 11 scoffed at the reasoning behind talking to Kony: "Gentlemen why waste time cracking peace deals with killers? The best remedy for a killer is a gun.

How can a man commanding a few local contingents of soldiers who do not even have uniform disturb a whole government for so many years like that? Borrow a leaf from Kenya, the Okoa Maisha operation in Mount Elgon that was successful. Do not give this Kony guy time to rest for he might overthrow the Government one day. President, act now or you are doomed. Northern Ugandans are also your people."

These are genuine views that deserve to be looked at critically. The Juba peace talks were the fourteenth initiative that the Government of Uganda has engaged in with the LRA for a peaceful solution to the northern Uganda conflict.

The difference between the Juba talks and the other initiatives is that for the first time the Government kept the LRA in a peace process up to the point of a final document called the Final Peace Agreement. But what difference has it made?

The prevailing peace in northern Uganda is a result of UPDF's might that dislodged the rebels and forced them to flee to the DRC.

There is no indication that the Juba talks have helped to encourage the displaced to return home. Kony's failure to sign the peace document causes psychological fear among the population that continues to undermine the resettlement process.

Although the International Criminal Court issued warrants of arrest against LRA leaders committing crimes against humanity, the LRA commanders have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing.

Apart from refusing to sign the Juba peace agreement, they have continued to commit crimes against civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Southern Sudan.

These acts continue to portray Uganda in bad light and are injurious to the diplomatic relationship with the affected countries.

In August 2008, the rebels attacked an SPLA post at Nabanga and killed 21 people including SPLA soldiers. Several civilians were abducted. Nabanga is a designated assembly point under the Juba agreement and the SPLA is mandated to secure all assembly points.

Earlier in May 2008, the rebels killed a Congolese prince heir to the Gbadi Kingdom in Eastern DRC.

They also abducted 100 children from the Central African Republic as reported by UN's Okapi Radio.

The latest attack was on Dungu Airport in the DRC in which the rebels reportedly killed 10 Congolese soldiers and abducted 33 civilians. These cannot be actions of a peace-maker.

The writer is the Defence/army spokesman