Pro-Government Militias
Battalion 64 (Ghana)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 19 |
| Country: | Ghana |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1999 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The PGM was established by former President Rawlings in 1999 as an armed force to curb political opposition and to check on the regular armed forces. |
| Date dissolved: | Jan. 7, 2001 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The group ceased to be pro-government in January 2001 when the opposition took power. The group stayed on the fringes of the army until it was absorbed into the regular forces around 2004. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | security forces |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | None |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious leader(s) |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Also known as: Unit 64, The 64 Regiment, 64 Battalion unit, June Fourth Battalion, Commandos, 64 Reserve Battalion |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The battalion was used by Rawlings to protect himself from opposition, within the population and the military. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | coup-proofing |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | No information. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | No information. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | No information. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | No information. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Although they were closely linked to the regular armed forces, PGM members did not accept the army’s organizational structures. The battalion was described as an elite force. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.