Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration

If no peace agreement has already been reached but armed groups wish to start the DDR process, then the underlying issues that led to the violence in the first instance must be addressed.

Unlike other aspects of peace agreements such as strengthening democratic institutions, introducing fair elections and governmental structures, the reintegration of ex-combatants back into civilian society may be difficult to accurately monitor.

Civil war often involves high degrees of communal violence, and this poses a particular challenge for fighters who may have joined armed groups that committed violent acts in the ex-combatants' communities.

To assess the impact of demobilization one has to consider the resources involved, the dynamic processes of production, redistribution and the different factors and actors in policy making and implementation.

The disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes, typically initiated after the signing of peace agreements, are often planned and led by military elites, predominantly men.

This male-dominated structure tends to exclude women from the peacebuilding process, resulting in DDR programs being designed according to male ex-combatants' needs, with little consideration for female participants.

In recent years, scholars have critically examined why female ex-combatants are often reintegrated into traditional domestic roles, with expectations that they return to being housewives.