How can the presence of ‘other armed groups’ (OAGs) be dealt with in building stability in post-conflict environments? This paper from Conflict, Security & Development looks at the ‘White Army’ militias in Sudan, who maintained an armed presence after Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. It provides an analysis of both the forcible and voluntary disarmament strategies that were implemented by the Sudanese Government. It argues that organisations such as the UN, local government and NGOs played an important role in successful disarmament. But challenges remain in building sustainable conditions for peace.
A review of the history and efficacy of the disarmament exercises of the White Army militias in South Sudan from January to August 2006 highlights many policy considerations for the disarmament of OAGs more broadly in Africa. A key goal of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) has been to disarm major concentrations of heavily armed civilians in the south, namely the White Army militias in JongleiState.
Initial disarmament exercises were never intended to collect all of the firearms held by civilians. Rather it was hoped that following the major disarmament exercises, there would only be small remnant groups of White Army militias that could then be gradually disarmed. This has largely been achieved and the White Army militias have ceased to exist as armed groups. At the heart of this success was a calibrated disarmament campaign based on influence, incentives and coercion, coupled with a publicity operation by a recognised authority that provided information on disarmament that was sufficiently persuasive to produce the desired effect.
A comparison of the SPLA’s forceful disarmament exercise from January to May 2006 in western and central JongleiState with the voluntary disarmament exercise in eastern JongleiState in July 2006 shows important lessons learned:
- While these processes were both driven by the SPLA, the voluntary exercise in eastern Jonglei also involved many other actors who played roles conducive to its peaceful unfolding.
- The forceful disarmament exercise was carried out by the SPLA alone.
- The role of local communities to encourage their youth to disarm peacefully was crucial.
- The presence of UNMIS and UNDP staff during the exercise pacified a volatile environment. Local county government mediated between the SPLA and White Army youth and collected the arms.
- Indigenous NGOs played a crucial role sensitising armed youth to the benefits of a peaceful, voluntary exercise.
Despite the success of disarmament, there are still challenges to be met in furthering peace and stability. Most significant is how to provide security for disarmed communities:
- The proclivity of southern communities towards blood feuding and cattle raiding is likely to lead to some continuation of violence.
- The continuing fluidity of the Ethiopia-Sudan border is problematic given the prevalence of armed groups and armaments on the Ethiopian side. Coordination is required between the Sudanese and Ethiopian governments to prevent cross border violence.
- With the gradual return of traditional mechanisms of conflict resolution, such as cattle compensation systems, as well as the introduction of a functioning judiciary, these challenges can be overcome.
- Since ‘universal disarmament’ is often unfeasible, rolling wave strategies are the best possible approach.
- If they are done with political astuteness and public information, they can be implemented with minimal political and ethnic divisiveness.
