Fifteen years of civil strife and guerrilla warfare left Uganda with a war-torn economy and society. How successful has its government been in demobilising the army? Has it been able to encourage development? This paper looks at the process by which the Ugandan government has shifted the burden of its public expenditure away from defence and security to social and economic development.
Between 1992 and 1995, the Ugandan government carried out the phased demobilization and subsequent reintegration of 36,400 of the estimated 90,000 soldiers in the National Resistance Army (NRA). It created the Uganda Veterans Assistance Programme (UVAP) to oversee the project. The three objectives of the UVAP were (1) the demobilization and resettlement of veterans and their families (2) facilitation of their social and economic reintegration into a peaceful, productive and sustainable civilian life, and (3) restructuring of public expenditure with a view to increasing the funds available for economic and social infrastructure and services.
In assessing how successful Uganda has been in achieving these goals, the study made the following key findings:
- A crucial step in the design and preparation of the programme was the completion of (1) a socio-economic profile of soldiers (2) an analysis of the opportunities for veterans in product and factor markets and (3) the examination of institutional requirements to determine the programme implementation structure.
- UVAP, in collaboration with the Army, developed the discharge certificate which has proved to be a highly effective tool preventing leakages, facilitating administrative procedures, and reducing costs.
- UVAP’s Transitional Safety Net Package included (1) cash payments, (2) health care support, (3) financial contributions to veterans children’s primary education, and (4) shelter for families to meet short-term survival.
- The health of veterans is poor. Over 5 percent have already died, a third of whom were confirmed AIDS victims. Health care support has been extended to 15 percent of all demobilized soldiers.
- UVAP was not initially designed as a reintegration programme. Nevertheless, measures such as education, training, counselling, employment support and self-employment have progressively been instituted.
- Access to land is a major factor facilitating economic reintegration.
While the envisaged activities have been carried out more efficiently over time, it is evident that complete reintegration is a long and trying process. Nevertheless, the study found the Ugandan demobilization programme to be the outcome of rational and professional personnel management by the army. General policy findings relevant to the Ugandan case include the following:
- Strong political commitment, realism and pragmatism is the most important factor determining successful programme implementation.
- Elements of a successful implementation strategy are (a) provision of a minimum assistance package (b) simplicity in delivery (c) decentralized decision-making (d) building on existing social capital and re-orienting local institutions.
- The classification of target groups should be based on the ex-combatants’ different needs, requirements, and aspirations. Good socio-economic data are essential for such classifications.
- Co-ordination within government and between other relevant actors is important in maximizing the effectiveness of programme interventions. One civilian agency with overall design and implementation responsibility serves this purpose best.
- The establishment of a temporary bureaucracy saves resources in the long-run. Once the major objectives have been fulfilled, any remaining activities should be integrated into the government’s mainstream development efforts.
