In a statement published in the state-owned New Vision newspaper, Mr Museveni said he would only accept a ceasefire declared by the rebels if they assemble in designated areas near the Uganda-Sudan border.

The newspaper also reported that the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) had started a "massive operation" against rebels in the Lira district of northern Uganda.

On Sunday rebels attacked the town of Bobi, 320 kilometres (200 miles) north of Kampala and abducted 16 people, mostly children, according to an army spokesman.

Unholy war

The LRA says it wants to rule Uganda under the Biblical 10 Commandments Leader Joseph Kony keeps numerous "wives", many of them abducted girls kept as sex slaves The group is notorious for abducting children to swell its own ranks, said to be about 4,000-strong

The LRA announced at the weekend that it was declaring a unilateral ceasefire, following an offer of peace talks by President Museveni.

The president first made the offer of a truce when he wrote to LRA leader Joseph Kony in July.

As a condition for peace talks to begin, the rebels would have to go to specific areas in both southern Sudan and northern Uganda where they could be monitored by the security forces.

"We shall not allow them to stay in inaccessible areas... because doing that would mean that they intend to continue with the war," said Mr Museveni.

Hotline

In his statement, Mr Museveni said: "We shall not respect that ceasefire unless Kony groups go to one uninhabited place or ask for safe passage to such a place."

It was also reported that Mr Museveni had given his telephone number to LRA commanders to enable them to establish direct communications with him.

Addressing a press conference in Kampala on Tuesday, Reagan Okumu, a member of parliament who is on the government team talking to the rebels, said he was happy that there was now a link between the president and rebel commanders.

Mr Okumu has been critical of the government over the contacts with the rebels and threatened to pull out of the government team.

The MP said he was unhappy with the slow pace of the talks with the LRA and blamed a "lack of honesty among some elements in the political and military circles".

He named Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi as one of the "hardliners" who was frustrating peace efforts, according to New Vision.

Mr Okumu said at the press conference that he thought the rebels were genuine in their approach to the peace talks.

Civilians killed

The LRA has been fighting the government since 1987, operating mainly in northern Uganda, where an estimated 500,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.

The army spokesman admitted civilians had been killed

The latest government offensive in the Lira district follows the abductions of people by the LRA on Sunday.

An army spokesman admitted that during the operation, two civilians had been killed and 10 injured when they were fired on by a UPDF helicopter.

Major Shaban Bantariza said that the incident was a "pure accident" and occurred when the civilians tried to flee from fighting but ran towards rebels positions.

The helicopter crew mistook the people for rebels and opened fire, he said.