| Country: | Uganda |
| Details of Formation: | The group was formed in June 2003 by local people in the Teso region of northeastern Uganda in response to LRA attacks that often involved the abduction of children. On June 22, the group first attacked the rebels. The militia was then placed under the command of the army and supported it in containing the LRA rebel insurgency. |
| Details of Termination: | After most LRA rebels were driven out of the Teso region by the end of 2003, the militia was gradually demobilized. Most members surrendered their rifles and uniforms in exchange for payment, but not all received the promised compensation. A small number of members were integrated into the regular armed forces, with the last battalions entering in mid-2007. Some members 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. |
| Purpose: | The group’s purpose was to act as a community defence force and cooperate with the army in fighting LRA insurgents in the Teso region. Because its members were active in their home communities, the group enjoyed the trust of local communities. The militia was successful in repulsing the rebels from the region, killing one commander. They also gathered information about the rebels in the region through their local networks, passing them on to the army. However, tensions occurred as the army did not accurately respond to the militia’s information. |
| 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 militia was organized as an auxiliary force. Its twelve battalions were each commanded by a major. 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. |
| Weapons and Training: | The militia is armed with guns. The government provided it with roughly 7,000 rifles. Explicit training of this group is not mentioned in the sources though it can be assumed that some militiamen are experienced in handling guns as the group partly consists of former UPA rebels and retrenched soldiers. |
| 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. The militia had 6,083 members at the end of August 2004 and thus missed its original target of 8,000 recruits. Another source claims that the group had 9,000 members, some of whom were unarmed. |
| Reason for Membership: | The violent child abductions by the insurgents motivated the community members of Teso to found and join the group. Volunteers were mobilized through messages in the radio and in local churches. 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. |
| Treatment of Civilians: | The militia enjoyed great popular support because it prevented the rebels from killing and kidnapping members of the community. Because national and local leaders, as well as the army, monitored the group, there were only limited incidents of abuses by its members. In 2004, however, reports of indiscipline and violent crime perpetrated by militia members increased daily. Reports from human rights organizations, the army, and the government all indicate that the militia committed human rights violations. |
| Other Information: | The name of the group is not derived from the fact that they use arrows, but from their ability to move quietly and purposefully. |
| References: | Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD |