“Get the Gun!”

Human Rights Violations by Uganda’s National Army in Law Enforcement Operations in Karamoja Region

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• Map

• I. Summary

• Key Recommendations

• To the Government of Uganda

• To Donor Countries and International Development Partners

• To the United Nations Country Team

• II. Methodology

• III. Background

• A. Livelihoods and Insecurity in Karamoja

• B. Government Approach to Law and Order in Karamoja

• Civilians tried by courts martial

• C. Government Disarmament Policies in Karamoja

• D. Return to Cordon and Search Disarmament, May 2006-Present

• Cordon and search operations

• Scale of alleged human rights violations connected with UPDF operations

• IV. Legal Standards Governing UPDF Law Enforcement Operations

• A. International Law

• B. National Law

• V. Human Rights Violations in UPDF Operations in Karamoja

• A. Unlawful Killings and Excessive Use of Force

• B. Torture and Ill-treatment

• During cordon and search operations

• During post-cordon and search detention

• C. Looting and Destruction of Property

• D. Arbitrary Searches, Arrests, and Detentions

• Arbitrary searches

• Arbitrary arrests and detentions

• Lack of procedural safeguards leads to multiple detentions

• E. Increasing Tension between the UPDF and Karamojong Communities

• VI. Government Response to Alleged Human Rights Violations

• A. Cordon and Search Guidelines

• B. Accountability for Human Rights Violations by UPDF Personnel

• C. Government Investigations

• VII. Detailed Recommendations

• To the Government of Uganda

• To the Uganda Human Rights Commission

• To Donor Countries and International Development Partners

• To the Member States and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth

• To the United Nations Country Team

• To Ugandan, Regional, and International Nongovernmental Human Rights Organizations and International Foundations

• Acknowledgments

• Annex I

• Annex II

• Annex III

September 2007 Volume 19, No. 13(A)