Our forces under overall command of General Kony, condem the millitary aggression to derail peace talks, and chance for peace in Uganda and particularly to people in Northern, eastern uganda and the Great Lakes Region.

The LRA's initative for dialoque was in good faith, Museveni and his government failed to realise the need for peacefull Uganda, Freedom for democracy, rather Museveni and his crooks have yet again deceived Ugandans and the international community. They inflilitrated my negotiation team and began planning with negotiators to cause loss of lives.

Its therefore up to Ugandas to allow Museveni and his crooks to loot outright Uganda's wealth and deny you political freedom, civil society and subsquently be lead by a dictatorship regime.

Ugandans and the world witness the the last general election, in which terror was perpatuated against innocent civilians by Musevenis rag tag armed thugs that for sure re-enforces our concern of democracy in Uganda and hence such behaviour is an obstacle to achieving freedom and democratic rule in our country.

I will now draw you on matters relating to latest threater of battle situation, our forces have disabled 3 fixed wing attack aircrafts to this date and are observing escalating situation.

Ends.

Dear Editor,

How long will Ugandans accept to be decieved? I wonder how understanding ugandans to-date can think of Kony as a person to support. Even pulling out a writing in the name of Kony is a sin not to forgive. So Radio Katwe, try to be constructive other than being childish. Because u are tired of Museveni should not give u chance to dip uganda once again into boiling water."Have u forgotten, a good Muganda is only a dead one?" Kony will not remember you supported him at all and will eat u up like a fool. I pity u Ugandans.

University of Cape Town

I have read a comment from the University of Cape Town castigating RK for reproducing a purported Kony press release. I feel the reader missed a point here.

I have read Radio Katwe for years now and I can't recollect seeing a sign of its support for Kony. Indeed RK has repeatedly mentioned that both Kony and Museveni are responsible for the carnage we have experienced in nearly half of Uganda.

What RK is doing therefore, is giving everyone an opportunity to be heard. I don't think RK would deny Museveni space if he wrote today his opinion of what is going on.

There have been several messages written in support of Museveni, Kagame and the like; personalities that RK finds revolting, and yet they have let these message run on their site.

If someone ascribes to the freedom of expression that freedom should not mean you alone, it must be permitted to cut across all humankind. And I believe this is what RK ascribes to - the freedom of expression.

I may be wrong since I have no idea of who is behind this wonderful forum, but yes Kony too has a right to be heard just like anyone of us with varying opinions. That is what construes freedom.

Etome

On LRA Releases a Statement,

Dear RK,

I wonder what wrong the reader from University in South Africa saw from your reporting. As far as I know,you merely reported what you received, it was not your opinion. Well,understanding differs from one reader to another.

And purporting to be writing from a university in South Africa is meant to create an impression that the author is literate and intelligent, eh! It is never always that whoever lives in a university is even learned. We all know that in universities such as Makerere, there are people of all walks of life: cooks, waiters, cleaners, clerks, lab technicians, lecturers (junior/senior), administrators etc. So what is the guy from South Africa?

RK, please continue to report objectively and I look forward to reading more of your publications in 2009, God allowing!

Mo Tata

LRA is now a regional force. They do know that to maximize their efforts and even capture international attention, they do not need to get themselves bogged down in Northern and Eastern Uganda anymore, although those are areas the NRA/M would have loved for them to head to and operate from so that NRA can take advantage of the situation to continue with their brutalities against innocent civilians.

LRA in my opinion, have assumed or reached a state in which the region outside of Uganda is where they can hit Uganda government better and where it hurts the most - the purse! Why should and would they head back to Uganda, where Uganda government would be spending next to nothing in fighting the war - but killing civilians instead in the process to achieve their goal?

Any of the areas in Eastern DRC is hundreds if not thousand of miles away. To keep UPDF bogged down in these areas would be the prefferred strategy, if they are smart, so that the government keeps pumping millions of dollars in futile attempts to try and sustain the war that is by and large unwinnable.

In the longrun, the futility of the "operation lightening thunder" shall become apparent and the only solution would be to re-call the troops unless the government is prepared to continue pumping more dollars into the hole that shall never get filled.

Incidentally the government of the DRC has huge problems in North Kivu. Unless the government of Kabila are full of ignorant leaders, attempts by MONUC to divert attention and focus of the government of the DRC from North Kivu onto LRA, while UN provide transportation to the CNDP rebels, should have not been entertained by DRC government officials.

On the other hand, Southern Sudanese government did not send troops in Garamba like it was claimed. The government of Southern Sudan has only deployed troops along the border to prevent LRA from infiltrating into Western Equatoria.

Basically therefore, UPDF are on their own in Garamba - a war that might spread out down South toward Kisangani. Should the rebels spreadout from Garamba area to Kisangani, or even to Central African Republic, how will the UPDF deal with the development?

If LRA are smart, they will battle it out in these huge areas where Uganda government shall have to commit huge finances to execute the war that apparently is inexecutable. In the longrun, it would be the NRA/M failures in the frontlines, including failures in meeting the country's financial needs that will forced them out of power. LRA would have won't strategically.

Commentator number 1

You wrote;

"Have u forgotten, a good Muganda is only a dead one?"

I do not support Kony; but at the same time we do need to understand where he comes from.

If you say we are being deceived, haven't you also been deceived judging by your parading the sentence above? where did Obote ever say this? Would he have been so stupid as to believe that a good Muganda is a dead one and then have a Muganda or wife? A spouse is probably the best person to one. And would Miria Kalule have been so dumb as to have a husband who believes she should be dead in order to be good?

Remember how Musveni deceived the people who believe in you statement to go killing in Acholi in the late 80s. This is how Kony came about.

You say Kony will eat us. you should realise that Museveni also deceived you and now says Kabaka is a "mudokolo".

And stop pitying us. We do not need you pity. just enjoy your temporary comfort in Cape Town. However, don't be sure it will stay like that forever. South Africa is a third world country like any other. It is also bound to erupt.

Maurice Sule.

Dear RK,

Thank you for this forum where every individual, even Kony's LRA can express their opinion freely. Despite living away from Uganda, the country in which I was born, I also followed closely the events surrounding the peace process in the North of Uganda. I think the government in Uganda and the international community has given Kony enough chance to end the suffering to the poeple of Uganda especially in the north and east.

Even if you were a close relative to Kony, you would have seen that Kony was adamant to accept the peace process by signing that agreement. He has no trust for his own negotiating team either. Look up for video clips of Kony in some of the meetings and see for yourself his body language at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5oBxBAY3fg. He is not a man to be trusted or to come out of the bush. It is unfortunate that he has not been arrested until now and handed over to the ICC.

This letter wont change the general we all have on him and the young men and boys he is abducting to fight alongside him and provide a human shield. The earlier he comes out of hiding, surrenders and faces justice the better for everyone including himself and his men/women. Otherwise, with the current offensive of the 3 regional armies, he wont survive.

Concerned Humanist.

AFRICANS, WAKE UP!

Dear RK., thanks for the site that informs and offers space indiscriminately.

I wish to share with my dear Ugandans in particular and Africans in general that we stand to lose by the blood that we shed daily in the hedden name of democracy, patriotism, nationalism etc...

Listen to this you all: When late Saro Wiwa of Nigeria was to hang by the Abacha's regime, he was given an opportunity to speak his last word. This humble man just uttered in a loud cry one sentence which touched me a lot. He said: " Africa, why do you kill your son?" And the poor man kept quiet and the hungman did his job forgetting that he too was not eternal.

Ok, that said, how can people be the Muhoozi's, the Konyi's the governments of the three countries be interested in shedding human blood?? Was the blood of Jesus on the cross not enough for our salvation? Gulu or Uganda will never be saved by another blood except that shed by Jesus in one single sacrifice. Any other dealing is in the footsteps of the blood of Judas Iscariot which is nothing but betrayal. MOST of these guys shedding blood anywhere on the continent, are baptized christians who have long forgotten their Baptismal promises.

Any African blood shed is reducing our number. Remember even in the Sudan's North, many are Arabs. Our number as blacks is too small and we should conserve our black race, wandugu! As if war killings is not enough havok, then comes child sacrifices in Uganda and Albino killings in TZ and Burundi. Africa, why do you kill your children? Remember the bazungu's are busy supplying us with condoms for yet another silent genocide to potential Africans. Guys of the Rwandan Gov't have already proposed for a not more than three kids per family. Wow, we are finished even before the spraying of mosquitoes using DDT has not taken off fully. Mungoje wutawona.

I appeal and challenge the Media to come strongly and influence society to respect human dignity even amidst poverty. Churches should wake up to their prophetic roles. Women Associations and Elders to do their parental role in offering Formative Education to infants and when we are all empowered and are psychologically mature, then however strong a corrupt government will be, we shall challenge it.

Have a Blessed New Year.

MUCWAMPAKA Symplice.

Dear RK, I thank you once again for the work of informing the world about what is going on in this beautiful continent of ours especially the great lakes region where the worst war criminals on African continent and probable the world, from number of deaths and lootings, conduct their daily activities of torturing, killing, deceiving the world through their propaganda means, stealing wealth of the continent for personal gains, buying more amunitions and security devices, etc.

I think the guy from university in south africa is free to express his view of what is going on between M7 and Kony, but it could have been better if he first analysed the whole issue of the war and did some research since he is at the University where I thought there is alot of intellectual work, before jumping up to say what a normal Ugandan or Congolese who has followed this war for long can not say.

Those of us who have seen the genesis of this war and analysed it well, feel that this guy in South African university still has along way to go if he is actaully studying at the university, unless he is a worker like gate keeper, shoe shiner, chef, who does not have time to follow what is going on in African continent then we can excuse him. Even here in Makerere all these categories I have mentioned can still follow what is going on in Uganda and elsewhere. We should pity this campuser from South Africa instead of him pitying Ugandans.

Kony is a person just like you and me although he has been described by those whom he is opposing as animal just because he is trying to stop them from stealing the wealth of Uganda and Congo for personal gains. But remember we are all social animals. I do not support war and war crimes as it has happened in Uganda and Congo for the last four decades, etc. Kony has the right to speak his mind out the way anyone of us does. You can not blame Radio Katwe for allowing Kony from communicating as if he not a human being. This even makes me think you, in a South African university have a mentality which is current in the government of Uganda where it is trying to control the media and wants the media to say what it wants but not what is fact. If you are a Ugandan, I wonder whether you are not on a State House scholarship which only goes to some specific families in Uganda as if Uganda belongs only to those families. Anyway, you can go ahead to defend the hand which feeds your mouth if you are under the category I have mentioned.

Anyway, let me stick to the really issue instead of being distracted by some people who do not analyse issues. According to me, Uganda should move out of Congo as soon as possible because they will never defeat Kony by the gun power. We need peaceful means. After 20 years you can not claim to be well equipped today to defeat Kony. Remember Kony is also well equipped to stop M7 from defeating him and therefore it will be the poor people suffering not M7 or Kony.

Congolese people have suffered unjust wars brought to them from without enough since the time of independence. I did not expect UN or AU to endorse Uganda which was accused of crimes in Congo to re-enter Congo when there is claim that Rwanda is again there busy supporting Nkunda. The world should come to understand that M7, Kagame and their juniors are inseparable therefore you can not again allow people you were blaming of crimes in Congo to go there again as if they are going there for football match where you do not expect deaths to occur although that theory was broken by Vivien Foe when he died while playing soccer. That is where UN has been used by criminals to achieve their aims. Now how can you expect other nations to respect UN when it is apparently cooperating with war criminals in one hand and condemning other presidents like Bashir, Mugabe who have never reached that record set by M7 and Kagame in Congo where more than 6 million people have just perished like flies?

Which means it may also be a criminal organization whose objectives and activities have to be questioned and if possible amended but by who is another question. We Congolese entrust our lives to God only as our saviour otherwise there is no way for us and our children to live a life to the full but only to survive and die a tender age.

M7 has all the propaganda means to tell the world that Kony is doing this and that, like this and that, etc. But let me tell you one day it will come to light and that what M7 said were all false and therefore face trial even if not here on earth but at least where he will live or perish for ever.

I would like the President-elect Barack Obama not to follow what his predecessors did but to take another approach to African situations. He should never rely on presidents like M7, Kagame, etc but he should ask people like Wade, Mugabe, Thambo Mbeki, etc for advise on African issues. That lady called Jendayi Frazer should not even talk about African issues because she tells Washington what presidents like M7 tell her.

I condemned what has happened to our brothers and sisters in Congo and Sudan after the attack of Garamba by UPDF but I would like to stop people who blame Kony without proof that his rebels did that. It can be anybody who has been given arms to do that so that the eyes of the world are on Kony and thereby endorsing M7 to send more troops to Congo and thus even support his nephew Nkunda as he wages war on a democratically elected president Kabila and yet the world just keeps watching.

For peace to reign in great lakes region, we need justice and therefore peace will prevail. Thanks you once again and you can oppose whatever i have said but at least you would have expressed your opinion.

God bless Uganda, Congo and all justice loving people in Africa.

Benoit ( ARIWARA-DRC)

RK Kony's friends your beloved man has again started his terror. Kony murdered 43 in a church on Christmas day. But you have not condemned his act but you have the time to post his letters here. I say Museveni should continue to fight Kony that has always been my best option.You cannot talk peace with a guy like Kony. By the way did you write how Kony killed his own Otti? RK's love for Kony is very surprising.

O. L. Ralph

We can now say it without fear.

Yes, it is common knowldge kony has obstinately refused to sign the peace aggreement with the people and Government of Uganda. His sympathizers feel the killer Kony is fit to be the president of Uganda inspite of his inadequecies. Relying on magic and evil spirits to lead people is out of fashion now. What he has done as a rebel leader already shows how demonic the man is, maiming, raping, consulting Ajog, fornicating, mutilating, adulterating, canibalism, uchawi, kidnapping, slave labour, and worst of all, killing innocent civilians moreover in his own home area.

Unfortunately the semi-elites(some) from the same area are hailing and praising him through RK. Shame!! Ofcourse they think by supporting him he may one day come to power and reward them with bread and honey so they can rest from ugali. Wapi, he cannot come out of the bush and by the way the man should be annihilated completely as he is dangerous to society and insenstive to human feelings, worse than Sadam.

I recommend Muhozi, Rwakitarate and Kanhiriho plus all brave sons and daughters now in the hot pursuit of the rogue. Courage and don't come back if you don't get him. Ugandans now bank on you and support you in the jungles for the noble cause. To our good neighbours the DRC and GOSS, thumbs up! Chad, Tanzania, Kenya Burundi and Rwanda should come up and join hands to end this meyhem of konyi. Then matsanga should stop wastig people's time that now go to South Africa for other talks. You Matsanga what does Kony give you to that extend of forgetting the Aboke girl students and other people from the North who have died at his own hands? have you consulted the family of Otti Vincent who are still nurturing the wounds in their hearts?

Sad for Pilot Lt. Opio but he will rest in peace since he died pursuing a noble mission. war is war and any soldier goes to war well a ware of the implications.

The Black Star is just a propaganda bought by some people from the North. But ushindi ni wa razima. Rightful people should ignore that black. Stars have never been balck after all.

By the 1st. of January, Kony should be history and then Bonane to all Northerns and Ugandans, Congolese and South-Sudanese.

KAIRU, KYANAISOKE
KIBAALE.

Dear RK and the readers. Thanks for a good year in news. We are now more enlightened.

About the war in Garamba or DRC. Dear Countrymen, the characters, syptoms all direct me to the Luwero war where bukumbi (small hoes) and pangas were used to save on bullets. This is the way M7 does it. Don't be decieved one more minute. The man is on it again. But this time we know his acts and circus.Thanks to RK.
Binsangawano.

Dear Kairu (comment 10)

Looking at your comments today, I believe that your kind of mind can never bring national unity in Uganda. You should realise that it is M7 who attacked Kony in DRC not even in Uganda, and how come you are saying Kony is killing innocent civilians in his home area. Mind you Kony comes from nothern Uganda not DRC and now the war is not in Uganda and there is no confirmed report of who is killing who.

Saying that "some semi elites from Kony's area" is directly attacking people from the North and you must refrain from that as this will not encouragre unity amoung Ugandans. You are sort of using the same language that M7 used when he referrered to Notherners as "biological substances".

Referring to Otti's death, have you ever asked Museveni why he killed Mayombo? Have you ever asked M7 why he used his soldiers to spead HIV in the North? Have you ever asked M7 about corruption in Uganda which He (M7) is president of corruption? There are uncountables worst things that M7 has done and you are keeping a blind eye on them.

You must know that the war M7 has started now is not for Ugandans but for M7 himself. The people from the North can see that they have lost another son from Kumi. May his soul rest in peace.

S.Odhiambo
Soroti

Dear Editor RK,
please refer to the Daily Monitor lead story - December 29, 2008 "Massacre: Kony Slaughters 45 in Church" Is it not disturbing to note that the description of the murders detailed in this story are:

1. Similar to what happenned in Rwanda during the Museveni/Kagame invasion of Rwanda, and blamed in part on the Interahamwe

2. Similar to what former UPDF soldier Geoffrey Masaba described when he blew the whistle on how the UPDF cut off people's lips and ears to terrorise people in Northern Uganda, but pinned the blame on Kony

3. Similar to what happened in the Luwero Triangle between 1980-1986, and the blame was put on the UNLA

The use machetes, hoes and clubs has been a Museveni war adventure signature. The Congolese people should stand warned; Museveni is visiting death on you under the guise of fighting Kony. We have been there before, don't let the UPDF disguised as Kony kill your people.

Fed up with Museveni

Dear Ugandans

I am sure you will agree with me that DRC Government and the Southern Sudan armies that are helping Ugandan President fight Kony should have thought that Kony on this occassion can argue that what ever he is doing now is self defence and he will come out very strongly in that.

Kony is now not a threat to Uganda at all because he is not even in Uganda and the area he used to operate in is very peascful despite serious health problem and poverty amongst the Acholis, Langi and Tesos. I do not know about the legal capability of DRC or Southern Sudan but Uganda has Makerere University that has continued to produce lawyers, including law development centre and other experienced lawyers who studied abroad. MPs and the Judiciary of Uganda has got very experienced legal persons.

My question is that WHY do they allow their president to go to a war like a blind person?

The result of this war you have seen is that a Ugandan pilot and aircraft is lost fighting what is not a legitimate war. Civilians lives are being lost.

SM. Kamau
NBI

Comment number 10

Kairu,

You wrote:

"By the 1st. of January, Kony should be history and then Bonane to all Northern and Ugandans, Congolese and South-Sudanese."

Rumours in Kampala have it that the Garamba adventure has not been very good for Museveni. That his men were tricked into walking into an enclosed area where they were attacked and 50 or so of them were massacred. He also might have lost as many as three aircrafts and their mercenary crew (whites) who might number three.

Please don't dismiss the claims of the Acholi MPs.

And don't believe in these stories of Kony killing people on Christmas day. Museveni has been known to kill people and blame it on his enemies. We know this happened in Luwero. We knew of it in northern Uganda as well. Ask yourself: Why would Kony kill these people? Would killing them assist his objectives in any way? The only person who would benefit from such killings is Museveni. He would lamp on Kony and reap the propaganda value.

Muarice Sule.

DEAR READERS OF R.K
DO NOT FORGET WHAT M7 DID IN LUWERO. HE USED TO KILL PEOPLE AND PUT THE BLAME TO THE GOVERNMENT. THIS TIME, HE MIGHT HAVE PUT HIS KILLERS TO DO THE KILLING AND PUT IT ON KONYI WHO IS ON THE RUN. HOW CAN SOMEONE ON THE RUN GET TIME TO KILL PEOPLE WHO ARE HIDING HIM? M7 SHOULD KWOW THAT FOOLING US IS THE MOTTO OF THE PAST. HE SHOULD JUST STOP KILLING THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE.
DR, KATWE----CANADA

Hello RK,
kindly inform author comment no 12 who responded to kairu that he is offline in reasoning. Kairu of Kyanaisoke, if I am not mistaken showed how Kony proved incapable of any leadership due to his killings and worst of all beginning with his own. Who will he save especailly if he ever came to power in Uganda? That he cannot, can he be any merciful to the Congolese when he killed and ate his own people's flesh? Incredible for an ex- altar boy.

Odhiambo, hope you are not the one on the list of the needed by the ICC in the Hague. But even then, read the logic of Kairu. he states it that "some..." to imply not all from the north. Otherwise he would not have even shown sympathy to the Aboke girls. ( for your information my sister was among and to today has never been seen: may be eaten like others were by those you sympathize with).

HIV is a global pandemic and certainly Museven is not the cause if you did not know. When hooligans stop their immorality, HIV disease will be history. Just observe the law of AB, and you will be safe from it. Condoms may even not help you, my dear.

Mayombo's death was a clinical death and any of us is vulnerable too. But not the massacring type of your Kony. You mean the parents and relatives of Otti can mourn like those of Mayombo? Mayombo's parents burried him honourably and the state mourned. We surely lost a kind and brave man, unlike Otti's case. Even the bastards of Otti, may never like what he did when they grow up.

Ndugu Odhiambo, be analyitical and call a spade a spade. Kony is a thorn in the flesh of Ugandans. Museveni has his weaknesses as a human being but not to the extent of kony.

Kairu has a point to appreciate.

Yours truly,

MARIAROSA Nguicrach,
Paidha.

Dear Editor,
I think, in reading all the comments, only Bisangano, is the only person, seeing a repeated process here! The UPDF, have once again shown inability in Garamba, and are on a high PR drive and doing what they do best, butcher innocent, defenseless civilians,and blame it on opponents!

Why, is it everywhere the UPDF fights, the civilians death always bear,the same hallmark? Blundgeoned or hacked? Has anyone picked, hidden in today's Monitor, MONUC, saying the UPDF are ferrying, platoons of FADRC soldiers to areas, suspected LRA rebels are heading or have been reported to have killed civilians in? What can a platoon do to the LRA, if Museveni simply don't want to send these inexperienced soldiers to their death, when his battalions, brigades and divisions failed for 22 years? Or is it go and die for me while I loot your gold and diamonds?

Dear RK,
Thank you once more for giving me this chance to air out my opinion about who killed people on Christmas day or whatever.

I think we readers of news papers should come to understand that whatever is reported in the news is not bible truth to be taken at the face value especially if it is about what is happening in Great Lakes region.

Many people are already blaming Kony that he has killed people in the church, even now the international community believes so.

Now readers, are you new to African war stories? Such stories have always been used by those who want to stay in power so that they can gain international recognition and achieve their aims which are always bad to the innocent people because of the consequences.

I know someone will come out and say, yes , it is Kony who killed those people in the church because he has always done it here in Uganda. No that is fallacy.

By the way, when we from Congo used to go to Dubai through Uganda, some of us used to pass via West Nile region during that time when many buses were bombed and torched and always blamed on Kony. Until one day at Pakwach (Nebbi) when we were waiting to be escorted in a convoy, my wife identified her watch which was taken by the so called "Kony rebels" when they ambushed a Nile Coach bus on which my wife was travelling. My wife was able to identify the guy who took her watch because the watch was so expensive that she always thought about it. Now when she identified her watch, she went to this guy who is a civilian and asked him where he got this watch and he said he bought it. Then my wife told him it is her watch and she even had put some identifying mark on it.

They went to the police post there in Pakwach and I tell you the story was more complicated than anyone could expect. These guys were used to go and ambush these buses with guns given by the UPDF officers and in return for their services they were to loot everything valuable in the buses and burn the rest so that people may think it is Kony. Some were to wear rugs and "rasta" wigs so as to appear like Kony rebels. But since they finally gave my wife's watch back we had nothing against them after that though we sympathised with so many lives which have been lost because of Ugandan politics.

So when I see people blaming Kony for everything which happens, I just wonder whether people are analytical enough to find out somethings for themselves, than to listen to the news papers which report what they have been told by the government agents.

That guy called Longi whom BBC says is a witness makes me even laugh more. That he hid himself in a nearby bush and identified the rebels of Kony because of their dreadlocks and Acholi language, as they were killing these people in the church. I could field many questions for that guy but it only makes me smile at Ugandan government how it can fabricate stories and even buy people to talk what they dont know and the international community only nods and accepts it as true.

Now for me at least I have travelled many parts of Congo and I know what tribes live in many areas. But anyway, the truth will always come to light. No one has proof that what happened was by Kony, therefore lets shut up and start analysing issues before we can blame people.

Let government spokesperson say what they want to say and let LRA say what they want to say and then our work is to analyse them critically not just hearsays. Thank you once again RK

God bless you all and may we enter the new year with critical minds and have new resolutions. I wish RK and all her readers Prosperous New Year 2009. BON ANNE.

Benoit
Ariwara-DRC