Pro-Government Militias
Karamojong Vigilante (Uganda)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 392 |
| Country: | Uganda |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1995 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The group was organised by the military starting in 1995. |
| Date dissolved: | March 16, 2000 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | In 1997 they were renamed the Anti-Stock-Theft Unit (ASTU) and placed under the control of the police. Sources suggest that they were transformed into a special unit of the regular security apparatus. However, the Karamojong militia did not cease to exist with this transformation, as this militia remained active until 2000, mainly as a result of the ASTU not being sufficiently effective. Museveni ordered the disarmament of the group in 2000. |
| Termination Type(s): | disarmed |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | NA |
| Former Rebel Group? | NA |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | military |
| Government Link(s): | military (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: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic |
| Primary Membership: | ethnic |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | north-eastern district of Karamoja |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 8000] |
| Target(s): | criminals |
| Purpose(s): | protect property and investment; self-defense and security |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Karamojong (Uganda) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Also referred to as Karimojong militia. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The militia was mobilised to combat cattle raiding in the north-eastern district of Karamoja. They were able to track down the culprits and return the cows to their rightful owners. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
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? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | no information |
| PGM Members Killed? | never |
PGM Size
| Size: | The militia comprised around 8,000 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The group is armed with AK47 automatic assault rifles after raiding a government armoury in Karamoja. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group was under the control of the army. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.