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Annex I

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR PEACEFUL CORDON, SEARCH AND DISARMAMENT³⁵⁴

1. Karamoja has had a long history of having illegal guns [leading to] untold suffering within the region and the neighborhood due to lawlessness that has also hindered development in the region
2. The ongoing disarmament exercise therefore is aimed at   restoring law and order to create a peaceful environment. Reference is made to a resolution passed during a workshop held in Moroto on 21 Mar 05 under recommendation 04/05 para 19 which was as follows:

a. No ambushes

b. No crossing district boundaries while armed

c. No crossing international border for pasture while armed for raiding

d. No inter-clan livestock raids

e. No attacking any government installation or bases

f. No moving in public while armed

g. No crossing into neighborhood districts for pasture without the consent of host authorities

h. No possession, receipt, delivery, sell [sic] or use of any military stores

i. No destruction of crops

3. However, because of persistent violations of the above perpetuators hiding in their places of abode with their arms the army has since May 2006 embarked on Cordon, Search and Disarmament. In order to avoid operational misconduct, the following guidelines should be strictly adhered to:-

a. Treating Wanaichi³⁵⁵ with courtesy

b. Cordon, Search and Disarmament to be done transparently

c.  To involve local leaders during searching, as witnesses and suspects to be taken and innocent ones released after interview

d. Women and children shall be the object of special respect and protection and even where found armed or implicated, appropriate reasonable means shall be devised to search and disarm them

e. Use proportionate fire power in case shot at

f. On completion of an exercise in an area, immediately cross-check with local leaders to ascertain whether there was any misconduct or anything stolen by own troops and declare such findings to the community

g. The commander should soon after the exercise return to the community to re-ensure them of the Army protection and evaluate the exercise

h. To conduct regular meetings with the local leaders in order to maintain confidence between the two

i. Be disciplined and professional

j. Be firm but fair

k. Auxiliary forces shall only operate during combined forces

l. No Cordon, Search and Disarmament exercise should be done without authority from the Div. Comdr, Sector Comdr, Bn Comdr

m. Protect and respect the Karamojong objects of cultural heritage and in particular the dressing code and any other tradition provided it does not hinder disarmament and not in conflict with the established law

4. The above guidelines are aimed at effective disarmament of Karimojong warriors and failure or neglect to observe any of them will be tantamount to commission of offence (s) under Part IV of the UPDF Act 07/05 termed “operational Offences Relating to Security”.

GOOD LUCK  

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THE CORDON

1. For the Cordon to be more effective the objective must be cordoned off under cover of darkness in the following sequences; (…)

Inner Cordon: This seals off objective and provides close observation /monitoring of the activities within the objective(manyatta)

Command Base established with all its elements and support weapons

BMP2s called in to form the outer cordon/Flank Protection. These should be kept at a distance with communication to avoid their noise alerting those in the cordoned off area. (The BMP2 should by now know the route of entry to the objective). The BMP2 produce a shock effect on the occupants of the cordoned objective.

Inform the occupants of cordoned off area of your presence at daybreak and call for their cooperation to avoid injuries

Search Party enters and systematically search from house to house in presence of the owner to avoid accusations and claims of looting properties

Separate male occupants from females and children. These should be kept outside the cordoned area under strict guard.

All arms/amno recovered must be recorded/registered and safely kept away from the cordon area. BMP2 could be used to secure these arms

Annex B provides an alternative deployment method where the BMP2 cannot be employed, distance between outer and inner cordon should be at least 200 meters.

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