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| Africa: East |
| One in Five Ugandan Soldiers Ain’t |
| 2004-02-05 |
| Lt. Gen. David Tinyefuza’s committee has discovered more than 10,000 ghost soldiers in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces. This could explain why the LRA keeps getting away. A transcript from the committee’s meetings, a copy of which The Monitor has obtained, shows that the practice of creating ghost soldiers for the benefit of a few is widespread in the military. "Evidence gathered so far indicates that ghost soldiers exist in most units/formations of the UPDF," the transcript reads. "The personal file returns [to the Chief of Personnel and Administration and the Director of Records] from most of the units except [3 and 53 battalions] indicates a difference between a payable strength of 55,588 and file returns from 45,497 soldiers amounting to 10,091 people," says the report. These figures mean that almost one in five soldiers in the UPDF is a ghost. However, a source familiar with the committee’s proceedings told The Monitor that these figures could "even rise higher" once the committee goes out into the field to verify numbers through head counts. This is how the custom of troops passing in review started, so the ruler could count heads. In the documents, the committee members outline the ways in which senior army officials create ghost, or non-existent soldiers, and keep the money meant for their salaries. "Various tricks are being used to ensure ghost creation," the Tinyefuza committee report says. "They are encouraged by mainly senior officers holding important positions of leadership and command e.g. commandants, adjutants and [paymasters]." In order to pull it off, everyone has to be on the take. According to the documents, most of the ghost soldiers are created within auxiliary forces mobilised to fight alongside the army. These auxiliary forces include the Amuka and Arrow Boys militias in the northern and eastern regions, the Anti-Stock Theft Unit in Karamoja as well as local defence units, especially in operation areas. especially in operation areas- where the rear area bean counters don’t want to go. The Tinyefuza committee report also details cases of indiscipline in the army, especially among ranking officers -including defiance of the President, who is the commander-in-chief. "The evidence collected so far has gone a long way in exposing the malaise of ghosts and problems of indiscipline, cliques, by-passing of chain of command, creation of semi-autonomous units and interpersonal conflicts, which have all affected the performance and cohesion of UPDF," the report says. Committee members are expected to visit 2, 3, 4 and 5 divisions to verify the information it has received about the ghost soldiers. "We’re here to inspect the 4th division." "That would be Bob, he’s over there." Several senior officers have been charged in the court martial with creating or benefiting from the ghost-soldier scam. So I guess that when we read this story: Magezi identified the aides as Lieutenant Okure and Lt. Okot who were killed by the 45th and 77th infantry battalion. Fred: "Surely he means "people from" the two battalions?" I’d say that there’s a good chance that they were killed by the entire 45th and 77th infantry. All two of them. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 Ghost soldiers? Sounds like The Return of the King. Somehow, I doubt that these Ugandan troops could scare many people, though. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2004-2-5 6:54:16 PM |
| #4 HAH! Meet the original reason for Regimental musters. To make sure the troops actually exist. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-2-5 4:20:43 PM |
| #3 Supply Sargeants are the same everywhere. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-2-5 3:28:51 PM |
| #2 Sounds like the French army at roll call for action. |
| Posted by: dataman1 2004-2-5 2:47:56 PM |
| #1 Literally, the UPDF can't stand muster. |
| Posted by: GK (Gasse Katze) 2004-2-5 1:43:49 PM |