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 Ugandan Peoples' Defense Force (UPDF)

Coat of Arms of Uganda
Coat of Arms of Uganda

Being a member of the Ugandan Peoples' Defense Force UPDF at present is no joke. This is because UPDF is currently fighting a terrorist group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group operating in the country's North which has been condemned by the UN.

Since March 2002, UPDF is carrying out operation against LRA bases across the border in the Sudan, and these raids, collectively known as Operation Iron Fist, have resulted in the repatriation of many abducted children being held by the rebels as child soldiers or sex slaves.  Uganda's worst tragedy happened during the reign of Military leader Idi Amin.  300,000 Ugandans lost their lives.

Facts on Ugandan Peoples' Defense Force (UPDF)

 

Military branches in Uganda:
 Ugandan Peoples' Defense Force (UPDF): Army, Marine Unit, Air Wing
Military service age and obligation in Uganda:
 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military duty; the government has stated that recruitment below that age could occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"
Manpower available for military service in Uganda:
 males age 18-49: 5,012,620
females age 18-49: 4,855,858 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service in Uganda:
 males age 18-49: 2,889,808
females age 18-49: 2,780,135 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures of Uganda - dollar figure:
 $192.8 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures of Uganda - percent of GDP:
 2.2% (2005 est.)
Disputes of Uganda- international:
 Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces; Ugandan refugees have fled the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) into the southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; LRA forces have attacked Kenyan villages across the border
Refugees and internally displaced persons in Uganda:
 refugees (country of origin): 214,673 (Sudan) 18,902 (Rwanda) 14,982 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
IDPs: 1,330,000-2,000,000 note - ongoing Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebellion, mainly in the north; LRA frequently attacks IDP camps (2005)