For countries emerging from conflict, integration of ex-belligerents into society and security forces is a challenging task for the nation, neighbours, civil society and ex-combatants themselves. This paper from the Conflict Study Center discusses Nepal’s Maoist integration issue within the context of Disarmament Demobilisation Reintegration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR) as integration models. Nepal’s current integration struggle suggests that if it does not achieve peace and stability soon, it may risk another type of socio-cultural ethnic-regional war.
All peacebuilding processes intend to disarm and demilitarise combatants and government security forces and reintegrate them into civil life. DDR and/or SSR processes are integral components of the peace process; they are intended to facilitate political change and ensure justice, social security and security reform.
In DDR, combatants are disarmed, demilitarised and reintegrated into civil life. It is often viewed as a technical process, whereas it is, in fact, a highly political process. In SSR, security forces are restructured and reoriented according to democratic norms, practices and systems. SSR is concerned with the integration of security branches that provide human security within a framework of a democratic governance system.
Over the past quarter-century, post-conflict integration of security forces and ex-combatants has been designed and evaluated in 38 countries in the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa. These experiences yielded the following results:
- Most of the 38 countries reviewed initiated DDR after peace agreements; two countries considered SSR.
- The issue of transitional justice usually takes place after peace agreements occur. These agreements generally include amnesties, distribution of political power, and some form of SSR and truth and reconciliation commissions.
- Child soldiers comprise almost 12 per cent of total combatants. In over half of the countries reviewed, thousands of child soldiers have been released from fighting forces. However, child recruitment in countries experiencing new or renewed conflict is on the increase.
- The total DDR cost in countries under review was US$1.599 billion; the average demobilisation cost per person was US$1,434.
- The highest number of weapons demobilised was in Afghanistan, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nepal’s surrender of arms per person lies at the bottom of the ranking.
- There have been a number of successful cases of integration between armed groups and state security forces.
While it is up to the Nepalese government to decide on DDR or SSR as its integration model, its current integration debate would benefit from:
- Recognition that both SSR and DDR models can be instruments for peace and conflict resolution;
- Consideration of SSR as a means to initiate comprehensive reform and democratisation of the army;
- Understanding that the integration issue is an opportunity to initiate full political participation of the country’s castes and ethnic groups; and
- Constructive involvement of the international community in bringing Nepal’s peace process to a logical conclusion, rather than pursuit of its vested interests.
