Details have emerged of a brutal massacre over the weekend in the north of Uganda carried out by the rebels' Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
Dozens of civilians were killed by the rebels in Pader District, and hundreds have fled from the scene of the attack which has left many unaccounted for.
President Yoweri Museveni recently said the rebels would be defeated but warned it may take until March next year.
Meanwhile the rebels have continued their attacks on the civilian population.
According to the Ugandan army spokesman, Major Shaban Bantariza, 52 civilians were killed in Agago County, Pader District, when an unknown number of LRA rebels attacked early on Saturday morning.
The Ugandan army says that 34 villagers were forced into their huts and then burnt alive while 18 people were either killed with machetes or clubs.
It says the attack seemed to be targeted at the village of a man who last week deserted from the LRA and reported to the Ugandan army with his gun.
Among the 52 dead are the former rebel's parents, wife and four children, the army says.
The MP for Agago County, Professor Ogenga Latigo said on Monday that he feared the death told could be much higher than 52.
He said 215 huts were burnt, most of them around the trading center at Amyel, and because all that remains are ashes, it is hard to know how many people were burnt inside their homes.
According to the MP, by Sunday night 730 people had reached nearby Kalongo town having fled the scene of the massacre.
Of those, he said, 27 are children who have no idea where their parents are.
Wave of attacks
Just two weeks ago, a similar attack took place in the neighbouring parish of Lira Kato, which the MP says left 39 dead and 400 huts burnt.
Professor Ogengo Latigo said his constituency is particularly vulnerable as it is next to a remote area of about 600 square miles where there are no roads and where the rebels are reported to have set up a camp.
He said the rebels have been highly visible in his constituency for the past three months.
Many may wonder why with so many sightings of the rebels the Ugandan army has been unable to prevent such attacks.
The Ugandan army recently ordered civilians living in villages to relocate to "Protection Camps".
But Mr Latigo said there have never been any camps in his constituency so the population had remained vulnerable in the villages.
The fact that it took two days for news of this attack to be heard outside the area shows just how isolated and inaccessible this part of Pader District has become due to the war.
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