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Cordon And Search

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A Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF) soldier guards a traditional Karamojong settlement during a "cordon and search" operation near Mount Moroto in northeastern Uganda. Sometimes the operations turn violent, killing civilians and soldiers alike. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A UPDF soldier guards his security perimeter during an operation to confiscate guns and stolen cattle in the Karamoja area. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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Uganda's Karamojong, a traditional herding people, value their cattle as a sign of wealth and status. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A UPDF soldier uses a mobile loudspeaker to order the inhabitants of a Karamojong village to gather outside so that soldiers and policemen can search the settlement for weapons. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A UPDF soldier guards a group of women and children outside their settlement while other soldiers conduct a search operation for illegal guns. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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Members of a Karamojong village wait patiently while security operatives search their homes for guns and stolen livestock. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A Ugandan policeman and a UPDF soldier inspect a haystack during a search for illegal guns. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A UPDF soldier in a traditional Karamojong settlement during a "cordon and search" operation. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A UPDF soldier watches as cows are led out of a settlement for inspection. Brands identify the tribe to which they belong in this region where rustling is rampant. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A UPDF soldier inspects a cattle brand for evidence of rustling. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A Karamojong woman sorts her belongings after security operatives searched her household goods for weapons. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

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A Ugandan policeman guards a man suspected of stealing cattle found among the village's stock. Image by Marc Hofer. Uganda, 2011.

When the government of Uganda decided to disarm and pacify the fierce and unruly tribesman of Karamoja, it quicky realized that the police alone wouldn't be able to do the job. So it brought in the Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF) to conduct "cordon and search" operations. The aim was to confiscate illegal weapons and determine the rightful ownership of livestock in a region where cattle rustling is rife. The military used a heavy hand, effectively implementing martial law in the remote, underdeveloped region. Although the cordon and search operations have eased up and the security situation has improved, many Karamojong are still afraid of the soldiers and afraid to protest when their rights are violated. Critics say the UPDF is now using Karamoja as a training ground for new operational procedures and equipment, forgetting the fact that the Karamojong are citizens, not foreign "enemies."

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