CHALLENGES FACED

BY A DDR PROCESS.
Hell !
 D. J. Weerasekara -DS/20/B/69/E
 Saduni Nipunika -DS/20/B/09/E
 Dasuni De Silva -DS/20/B/35/E
 Kusali Rupasinghe -DS/20/B/43/E

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Content
1. Introduction to DDR - DS/20/B/35/E
2. Challenges of DDR - DS/20/B/43/E & DS/20/B/69/E
3. Possible solutions - DS/20/B/09/E

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INTRODUCTION
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 “
Demobilizing combatants is the single most important factor
determining the success
of peace operations. Without demobilization, civil wars cannot
be brought to an end
and other critical goals—such as democratization, justice and
development— have little
chance for success
(Report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and
Change, UN 2004.)

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What is DDR?
▷ DISARMAMENT - Disarmament is the collection,
documentation, control and disposal of small arms, ammunition,
explosives and light and heavy weapons from combatants and
often from the civilian population

▷ DEMOBILIZATION - Demobilization is the formal and controlled

discharge of active combatants from armed forces and groups,
including a phase of "reinsertion" which provides short-term
assistance to ex-combatants

▷ REINTEGRATION - Reintegration is the process by which ex-

combatants acquire civilian status and gain sustainable
employment and income. It is a political, social and economic
process with an open time-frame, primarily taking place in
communities at the local level
(https://unamid.unmissions.org/disarmament-demobilization-and-
reintegration-ddr)
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Timeline
Peace and
Emergency development phase
stabilization
phase UN agencies, donors,
Reinsertion
World Bank, NGOs,
resettlement
Integrated local communities
package
multi-disciplinary PKO
End of reintegration
conflict ceasefire education, training
assembly infrastructure
disarmament rehabilitation
demobilization economic
development

New unified
armed forces

Days / Weeks Months / Years

Time
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Evolution of DDR.
•Ex :-El Salvador,
Emerged in 1960s. Guatemala, Namibia,
Traditional DDR Mozambique, South Africa,
Cambodia, Haiti
▷ Traditional DDR

•Ex :-Western and Central

Second Africa, the Balkans and
▷ Second generation DDR generation DDR Southeast Asia

▷ Next generation DDR

• Ex :-Colombia,
Next generation
Somalia, central
DDR African republic

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Administering DDR programs.

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ACTORS OF DDR.
▷ International organizations - The UN and its affiliated organizations.
▷ Non governmental organizations
▷ The signatories of the peace agreement (Including the military)
▷ National and transitional governments
▷ Political parties and leaders
▷ Armed forces and groups
▷ Civil society groups
▷ Women's leaders and associations
▷ Provincial and local authorities
▷ Community- based organizations
▷ Religious groups
▷ The private sector
▷ The media
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CHALLENGES OF
DDR
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1) Funding issues.
 Main funding issues,
1) Delay of funding. (South Sudan)
2) Lack of sustain funding support.(El Salvador, South Sudan, Angola, Liberia)
3) Budgeting issues. (Sierra Leon)
4) Absence of local financial structures and capacities in war ravaged
environments. (Sierra Leon)

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2)Absence of a formal peace agreement.
▷ Local exploitation of DDR Process

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3) Child involvement.
▷ "Child soldiers" make up 10 to 15 per cent of
the troop strength of armed forces and groups
that participate in armed fighting.
▷ DDR process for children often starts earlier,
even before the armed conflict has ended and
peace agreements have been signed.

Particular challenges .
 The needs of child soldiers who demobilize as
adults and the special needs of girl soldiers.
 Creating community-based rehabilitation and
long-term care projects instead of individual
therapy (differently- abled and injured children)

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4)Challenges faced by
female ex- combatants.
▷ Ostracized by their community for attending DDR programs.

▷ Reintegration is much tougher for female ex- combatants

compared to their male counterparts.

▷ Female ex- combatants not only deal with psychological

trauma but also sexual trauma.

▷ Vocational training is limited for female ex- combatants

compared with male ex- combatants.

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5)typically pervasive presence of
internal insecurity.

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6)Lack of political will of donors for
DDR.

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7)Lack of involvement of local
actors.
▷ Frustrations due to the lack of involvement of local actors, such as
local NGOs, community members and ex- combatants. (Burundi)

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8)International buy-back schemes.
▷ A buy-back scheme by the UN
Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in 2003
led to a riot which killed 9 people.

▷ In Haiti, the US-led buy-back

program enabled the involved
combatants to trade-in their
outdated/broken weapons for
newer/better weapons using the
buy- back cash.

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9)Lack of research on DDR
processes.

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10)Weaknesses in the
Reintegration process.

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SOLUTIONS
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▷ Prepare communities for the return of fighters by raising public awareness of the
importance of disarmament and reintegration.
▷ Manage the expectations of returnees by informing them of the potential changes
in their community and noting potential difficulties they might encounter upon
their return.
▷ Provide psychological counseling, reconciliation programs, skills training, and
education to former fighters.
▷ Encourage female ex-combatants to join women’s organizations to help bridge the
divide between ex-combatants and the community.
▷ Create community-based networks or centers to help family members of
returning ex-combatants cope with change.
▷ Rethinking of mandates which suit to the changing context of conflicts.
▷ Combatants should not be treated as homogenous groups.
▷ Assuring the state capacity through functioning legal mechanisms and peaceful
problem solving mechanisms.
▷ Centralized, integrated, funding systems.

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References.

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THANK YOU…
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