Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration
The disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former fighters is now a well-established feature of the peace and security architecture. Dozens of DDR activities have taken place since the 1990s; their duration, resources, and ambitions have expanded over time. The UN alone has more than 24 agencies involved in DDR around the world, chief among them are the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
Notwithstanding considerable enthusiasm among governments to promote DDR after wars come to an end, there is still little evidence of its effectiveness. The Small Arms Survey has been at the leading edge of assessing the outputs and outcomes of DDR around the world. It has also worked with multilateral and bilateral agencies to better define the context in which DDR takes place, the metrics and indicators to measure progress, and the impacts of DDR on the lives of individuals and communities.
A growing network of researchers seeks to better understanding the environment in which DDR occurs as well as the motivations and means of those who are to be disarmed, demobilized, and reintegrated. A more thorough understanding of what animates non-state armed groups, the leaders and followers, and the communities who are to receive them is critical for policy-makers and practitioners alike. Since 2001, the Small Arms Survey has undertaken a range of DDR assessments in Afghanistan, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia, Macedonia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Sudan, Timor-Leste, and elsewhere.
Small Arms Survey Publications
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Failures and Opportunities: Rethinking DDR in South Sudan, May 2011. HSBA Issue Brief No. 17 (also available in Arabic)
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DDR in Sudan: Too Little? Too Late?, by Ryan Nichols, February 2011. Working Paper No. 24 (also available in Arabic)
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Muggah, Robert. 2010. Innovations in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration: the Past Decade, NUPI Working Paper 774. Oslo, Geneva: NUPI, Small Arms Survey.
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'Insecurity Is Also a War': An Assessment of Armed Violence in Burundi, by Stéphanie Pézard and Savannah de Tessières, October 2009 (also available in French)
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Securing the Peace: Post-Conflict Security Promotion, by Robert Muggah, 2009. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2009: Shadows of War.
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The Limits of DDR: Reintegration Lessons from Aceh, by Patrick Barron, 2009. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2009: Shadows of War.
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DDR in Afghanistan: When State-building and Insecurity Collide, by Michael Bhatia et al., 2009. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2009: Shadows of War.
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Shots in the Dark: The 2008 South Sudan Civilian Disarmament Campaign, by Adam O'Brien, January 2009. Working Paper No. 16 (also available in Arabic)
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Security and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Dealing with fighters in the aftermath of war, edited by Robert Muggah, published by Routledge, January 2009.
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Crisis in Karamoja: Armed Violence and the Failure of Disarmament in Uganda’s Most Deprived Region, by James Bevan, June 2008. Occasional Paper No. 21 (Executive Summary also available)
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Violence and Victimization after Civilian Disarmament: The Case of Jonglei, by Richard Garfield, December 2007. Working Paper No. 11 (also available in Arabic)
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Small Arms in Burundi: Disarming the Civilian Population in Peacetime, by Stéphanie Pézard and Nicolas Florquin, a study by the Small Arms Survey and the Ligue Iteka with support from UNDP–Burundi and Oxfam–NOVIB, August 2007. Special Report No. 7 (also available in French)
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Armed Violence in Burundi: Conflict and Post-Conflict Bujumbura, by Nicolas Florquin and Stéphanie Pézard, 2007. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City.
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Avoiding Disarmament Failure: The Critical Link in DDR—An Operational Manual for Donors, Managers, and Practitioners, by Peter Swarbrick, February 2007. Working Paper No. 5
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The Militarization and Demilitarization of Refugee Camps and Settlements in Guinea, 1999-2004, by James Milner and Astrid Christoffersen-Deb, 2006. In Robert Muggah, ed. No Refuge, co-published with Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) by Zed Books.
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From Bad to Better: Reflections on Refugee and IDP Militarization in Africa, by Sue J. Nahm, 2006. In Robert Muggah, ed. No Refuge, co-published with Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) by Zed Books.
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The Three Ds: Disposal, Demilitarization, and Destruction of Ammunition, by Adrian Wilkinson, 2006. In Stéphanie Pézard and Holger Anders, eds. Targeting Ammunition: A Primer.
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Securing Haiti’s Transition: Reviewing Human Insecurity and the Prospects for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration, by Robert Muggah, November 2005. Occasional Paper No. 14 (also available in French)
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Managing "Post-Conflict" Zones: DDR and Weapons Reduction, by Robert Muggah, 2005. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2005: Weapons at War.
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Muggah, Robert. 2005. Managing "Post-Conflict" Zones: DDR and Weapons Reduction. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2005: Weapons at War.
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Talking about Disarmament: The Role of Small Arms in Peace Processes, by Camilla Waszink, 2003. In Small Arms Survey, Small Arms Survey 2003: Development Denied
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Removing Small Arms from Society: A Review of Weapons Collection and Destruction Programmes, by Sami Faltas, Glenn McDonald, and Camilla Waszink, July 2001. Occasional Paper No. 2
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Other Publications
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Muggah, Robert and Nat J. Colletta. 2009. Context matters: interim stabilisation and second generation approaches to security promotion, Journal of Conflict, Security and Development, Vol. 9, Issue 4, pp. 425 – 453. London: Routledge.
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Muggah, Robert. 2008. Comparing DDR and Durable Solutions: Some Lessons from Ethiopia's Demobilization and Reintegration Programme, Humanitarian Practice Exchange 41. London: ODI. (online)
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Humphreys, Macartan and Jeremy Weinstein. 2007. Demobilization and Reintegration. Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp 531 – 567.
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Hanson, Stephanie. 2007. Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) in Africa. New York: Council on Foreign Relations.
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Muggah, Robert. 2007. Great Expectations: (Dis)integrated DDR in Sudan and Haiti. Humanitarian Practice Exchange 40. London: ODI. (online)
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Theidon, Kimberley. 2007. Transitional Subjects: The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Former Combatants in Colombia. The International Journal of Transitional Justice, Vol. 1, No. 1. Pp 66-90.
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Spear, Joanna. 2006. From political economies of war to political economies of peace: The contribution of DDR after wars of predation. Contemporary Security Policy, Vol. 27, No. 1. Pp 168 – 189.
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Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). 2003. Best Practice Guide on Small Arms and Light Weapons in Disarmament, Demobilization & Reintegration (DD&R) Processes. Handbook of Best Practices on Small Arms and Light Weapons. 19 September. FSC GAL/79/03/Rev 1.
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Mufor Atanga, Lucien. 2003. Tackling Small Arms in Central Africa. Paper 29. Bonn: BICC.
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Mazurana, Dyan, et al. 2002. Girls in Fighting Forces and Groups: Their Recruitment, Disaramament, Demobilization, and Reintegration. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, Vol. 8, No. 2. Pp. 97 – 123.
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