Fostering a Farewell to Arms: Preliminary Lessons Learned in the Demobilization and Reintegration of Combatants

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Fostering a Farewell to Arms: Preliminary Lessons Learned in the Demobilization and Reintegration of Combatants

M.K Clark

Since 1990 USAID has been involved in efforts to demobilize and reintegrate combatants in several different countries, most notably countries that were emerging from the havoc of civil war. This issue brief highlights experiences from El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Uganda, analyzing them in terms of policy and legal issues, political context and program implementation. The special needs facing female, disabled and child ex-combatants are also discussed, along with recent initiatives in Haiti and Angola. Conclusions and lessons learned are analyzed in detail. From a policy and legal perspective, providing support for demobilization has been challenging for USAID because of the legal restrictions on providing assistance to foreign militaries and inflexibilities of development assistance. Staff have found creative solutions enabling USAID to be supportive and still uphold the spirit of the legislation. Congressional appropriations, such as the Demobilization and Transition Fund (DTF) for El Salvador and the African Disaster Account (ADA), have been important vehicles for USAID involvement.