In a recent statement, President Museveni has questioned LRA leader Joseph Kony's commitment to peace talks and criticized him for killing his deputy, Vincent Otti. BBC News is reporting that a new diplomatic briefing has confirmed Otti's death. Museveni has also threatened military action against the rebels if they do not agree to a peace deal by the end of January. In an interview with Voice of America, Manasseh Wepundi, senior analyst with the Africa Policy Institute, said that recent discussions with neighboring countries on a coordinated response to armed groups operating in the Great Lakes region may have impacted Museveni's thinking. "The regional environment is changing very drastically in favor of President Museveni. That is a boost to his confidence about a military solution to the entire conflict," Wepundi said. Yet, many in northern Uganda say that "military solutions" over two decades have only intensified fighting and led to more displacement. Given all the progress of the Juba peace process, why revert to military rhetoric and rigid ultimatums? There is indisputably a role for benchmarks to move the negotiations along, but inflexible timelines risk derailing the whole process and plunging northern Uganda back into war.