Pro-Government Militias
Arrow militia (Uganda)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 201 |
| Country: | Uganda |
| Date formed: | July 1, 2003 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The militia was mobilised in 2003 in the Teso Region of Northeastern Uganda, supported by the government under Museveni. They were created to support the army in containing the LRA rebel insurgency. |
| Date dissolved: | May 16, 2007 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | month |
| Details of Termination: | In mid-2007, the militia was integrated into the regular forces. Some were incorporated into the army, others into the Anti-Stock Theft Unit. They were supposed to be deployed at the borders of Teso and Karamoja sub-region to guard against cattle rustling. |
| Termination Type(s): | integrated into regular forces |
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; state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; military; crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | former rebels; ex soldiers |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Teso |
| Force Strength: | [6083, 11000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; intelligence gathering; fight insurgents |
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: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The purpose of the group was to support the army in fighting LRA insurgents in the Teso region. The militia was successful in repulsing the rebels from the region, killing one commander. They also gathered information about the rebels in the region, passing them on to the army. However, tensions occurred as the army did not accurately respond to the militia’s information. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | In 2004, reports of indiscipline and violent crime perpetrated by militia members increased daily. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | unclear |
| Reasons for Membership: | The group was frustrated over lacking support in terms of material goods and finances. The government promised payment that only partly reached the members. As the lack of payment continued, many members defected. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | In November 2003, it was planned to raise 16 battalions - about 11,000 combatants - to take charge of the security in the Teso region. The deployment of more personnel was said to be stretched according to security threats (BBC Monitoring Africa 2003). The militia had 6,083 members at the end of August 2004 and thus missed its original target of 8,000 recruits. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The militia is armed with guns. Explicit training of this group is not mentioned in the sources though it can be assumed that the militiamen are experienced in handling guns as the group consists of former UPA rebels and retrenched soldiers. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | State Minister for Health, Mike Mukala is the Chairman of the Arrow Group Force and Musa Ecweru acts as a group co-ordinator. The group was ordered to be paid, however payment only partly reached the militiamen. The frustration over non-payment led to high numbers of defectors who went back to their villages. The incorporation into the regular forces in 2007 was aimed at regularising the group’s payment and command. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.