From Combatant to Civilian

Related Resources Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Program (MDRP) List of Partners

August 29, 2005 -- The World Bank is playing a key role in a multi-donor effort to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate former combatants in Central Africa. As the largest program in the world, it's helping some 450,000 combatants from seven countries in the region.

It has been dubbed Africa's first world war - years of violence and suffering which have plagued the Great Lakes Region in central Africa. The series of conflicts, spanning more than a decade and affecting adjacent countries, have been the result of complex domestic and cross-border factors.

The key to stability in the region lies with reintegrating ex combatants, some of whom have spent years in the bush and others who have barely reached their adolescence.

A broad multi-donor effort, known as the Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Program (MDRP), is now underway in the Great Lakes Region to support Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR).

The Democratic Republic of Congo military registering for the demobilization process.

The MDRP is not a peace keeping mission but rather a socio-economic development initiative. As the administrator of the MDRP, the World Bank is part of this multi-donor engagement and is playing a leading role.

The program aims to support the reintegration of some 450,000 ex-combatants in seven countries of the region: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Condo, Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.

Bernard Harborne, the Bank's Lead Conflict Specialist for the Africa Region, says it's the largest disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program in the world.

"While this is in no way business as usual for the Bank, the impact of our work in poverty reduction depends so much on the success of such peace processes and stability in this region," Harborne says.

Disarm, Demobilize, Reintegrate

A DDR project helps former combatants return to civilian life. It's a complex process which involves coordinated efforts of different agencies often in a chaotic post-conflict setting.

The entire process usually includes:

• Disarmament: collection, control and disposal of heavy and light weapons, small arms, ammunitions, and explosives.
• Demobilization: formal discharge from the armed forces.
• Reinsertion: early transition to civilian life, settlement into a community.
• Reintegration: completion of transition to civilian life, including access to a civilian job and effective integration into a social community.

• In some cases, it also includes:
• Repatriation: return to the country of origin of ex-combatants on foreign soil.
• Resettlement: transfer to a third country of ex-combatants on foreign soil.

The World Bank is involved in the demobilization and reintegration aspects of the process - not the disarmament process.

	The MDRP is financed by the World Bank and 11 donors -- Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom -- that have pledged some US$350 million to the trust fund -- and involves some 30 partner organizations. Seven countries receive active support under the MDRP: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. MDRP support will also be extended to Namibia and Zimbabwe if and when appropriate.

"DDR is a complex process which sometimes includes elements in which the World Bank cannot legally be involved," says Maria Correia, the Bank's newly appointed MDRP program manager. "For instance, on the basis of its Articles of Agreement (the guiding principles under which the Bank operates) the Bank cannot and does not take part directly in disarmament. Therefore the Bank must work closely with UN and other agenciesthat have the mandate on disarmament and other complementary processes."

Becoming a Civilian Again

"The Bank provides financing to national institutions to support a process in which members of a formal army or militia come to a point where they are met by officials from the government and are demobilized --- made a civilian again," Correia says.

First on the agenda is giving the ex-combatants clothes, shelter, basic medical care, HIV/AIDS counseling and civic education. They are then given some money for transport and resettlement, basic household goods or farming tools. Upon return to their communities, they then receive training or basic education and opportunities to establish a livelihood or to find short-term employment.

It is estimated to cost about US$1,200 to turn an ex combatant into a civilian, with a job and a role in his or her community.

Stability and Economic Growth

"The ultimate objective of the MDRP is to support a peace initiative and stabilize social groups that constitute a threat to peace and internal stability," says Kigali-based Gregory Alex, a bank senior social development specialist and member of the Bank's MDRP Secretariat.

"This sometimes has controversial and moral hazard aspects especially when assistance is provided to people who may have been implicated in violent actions."

Nevertheless, the long-term success of reintegration will depend on accelerating economic growth and creating job opportunities across the country. "We are striving to ensure that poverty reduction strategies and activities take into account ex-combatants," Alex says.

Ex combatants catching a ride to a demobilization center.

Inching Toward Success

According to those involved in the process, implementing the programs has been complicated for a variety of reasons including precarious political and security situations. Even more difficult is the process of helping ex-combatants find jobs in countries which are economically depressed and often lack infrastructure. Providing them with some basic training or schooling is also a challenge, since illiteracy is widespread in the region. However, there has been progress.

In Angola, more than 30,000 ex-UNITA soldiers, who had spent on average 14 years as combatants, are now receiving reintegration assistance from several national and international agencies financed under the national program. For example, 50 ex-combatants in Huila province repaired an irrigation canal to make the land more productive, which the community gave them to use. The irrigation also helps improve the land for an additional 200 families from the same community.

In Rwanda, ex-combatants have become farmers, civil servants and even small scale entrepreneurs such as shop keepers of downtown Kigali.

In the Republic of Congo, former combatants have used the support they received to build poultry farms, manage fishponds or to run barbershops.

"While the experience of the Bank and its partners is very rich and encouraging in the region, many challenges remain in managing and contributing to the resolution of conflicts in the greater Great Lakes region. We, at the MDRP are pleased to be a part of this peace-building partnership," Correia says.