In the wake of a decade-long civil war that claimed more than 13,000 lives, Nepal’s uneasy peace has been plagued by uncertainties, tied to the volatile political environment, the gridlocks over the drafting of the new constitution, and the reported proliferation of criminal activities. This rapid succession of changes has raised new questions about the overall security situation in the country.
Violence against women, and the reluctance of authorities to deal with it, present a serious challenge to Indian society, law enforcement, and judicial affairs. Numerous incidents involving group rapes and rape and murder—such as the Nirbhaya case in New Delhi in 2012—have captured national and international attention. While domestic violence and public intimidation are familiar to women across India, statistics remain scarce and unreliable.
The Missing Middle: Examining the Armed Group Phenomenon in Nepal analyses the phenomenon of armed groups in Nepal. It examines their history, their initial proliferation following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA), their development and overlap with other societal groups, the reasons behind their recent decline, and their relationship to the state.
Also available in NEPALI.
In November 2004 the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) began a nationwide programme of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR). Initially it was estimated that 330,000 combatants from ten armed groups would be demobilized and then either returned to civilian life or reintegrated into a reformed national army. However, in early 2008 a further 22 armed groups signed peace agreements and were also incorporated under the DRC government’s National Plan for DDR.
By Robert Muggah, co-published with Oxfam.
A recent survey on perceptions of security in Kenya found that the highest area of concern among household respondents was safety during electioneering periods. Specifically, 48.4 per cent felt most unsafe during political campaigns: an understandable anxiety, given Kenya’s recent political history and its recurrent electoral violence.
Armed groups, whatever their objectives, tend to rely on similar mechanisms to control their fighters. These include a recruitment process that aims to provide the group with the appropriate quantity and quality of personnel; a socialization process for new recruits (such as through oaths and initiation rituals); and the elaboration of internal regulations—such as codes of conduct— and their dissemination among the rank and file.
Karamoja, in the north-east of Uganda and one of the country’s least developed regions, has been plagued by decades-long inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic violence. The availability and use of small arms in the region has exacerbated the violence, and a climate of insecurity has hindered development. Various peace and security initiatives in the region aim to reduce the violence and improve security.