Special Force Vigilante (Uganda)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: |
yes
|
| PGM ID Number: |
98
|
| Country: |
Uganda |
| Date formed: |
Nov. 10, 1981 |
| Accuracy of date formed: |
year
|
| Details of Formation: |
The existence of the militia is first mentioned in 1981. They were set up by the vice president and minister of defence Mr Paulo Muwanga. |
| Date dissolved: |
July 27, 1985 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: |
year
|
| Details of Termination: |
The date when President Obote was deposed is coded as the termination date for this group although they were not mentioned after December 1981. |
| 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: |
informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: |
yes |
Main Creating Government Institution: |
person/minister
|
| Government Link(s): |
person/minister
|
| If link to party, name of party: |
Uganda People's Congress |
| Training and Equipment: |
yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: |
no information |
| Shared Personnel: |
no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: |
no information
|
| State Sponsor(s): |
none
|
| Other Connection(s): |
|
Group Characteristics
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: |
Next to the army, the police and the ‘ragged’ militia, the Special Force Vigilante belonged to the four distinct units of Obote’s security apparatus. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: |
President Obote tried to compensate army deficiencies with the creation of the militia. Recruits comprise adolescents and party members of the Uganda People's Congress Party. They are supposed to counter rebel activity in the countryside and report intelligence to the army. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use |
knowledge; local presence
|
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? |
no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
The group was designed to grow to 5,000 recruits from their initial 600 trained men. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
The group received three weeks of political and military training at Lunyo Farm in Entrebbe. |
Organisation
| Organisation: |
The group’s passing out parade was attended by the vice-president.
|
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD
Evidence
