Monograph 125: A Technical Analysis of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration: A Case Study From Burundi, Henri Boshoff and Wal

The process of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) as part of the reform of security sector institutions in the context of peace operations, either under the auspices of the United Nations or otherwise, is a relatively new and challenging field. Although the international community has succeeded in some instances, it has not been consistent. This is partly due to inherent difficulties in engaging with sometimes sensitive and controversial institutions, political processes and personalities in conflict or post-conflict settings. The authors begin with an historical overview, and then examine the political management of the crisis in Burundi, the role players and the political parties.

They attempt to address the very difficult process of agreement and the installation of the transitional government, which resulted in the deployment of South African Protection Support Detachment (SAPSD), later the African Union Mission in Burundi (AMIB) and finally the United Nations Mission in Burundi (ONUB). They emphasise the importance of a negotiated settlement where the Burundian authorities and role players were encouraged to make their own decisions, rather than being forced to accept external imposed judgements.

The Monograph explains in detail the process of DDR followed by AMIB and ONUB. The authors discuss in detail the efforts by the AMIB mission to start the DDR process and the problems of dealing with more than one ceasefire agreement, as well as convincing the role players to accept a joint plan for demobilisation and start the process. Because of the lack of funding by the AU a lot of donor support was used to start the process. When AMIB was taken over by ONUB in December 2004 a significant portion of the planning for the DDR process was completed. ONUB managed to continue with the DDR planning, and this resulted in a successful DDR process.

The problems experienced during the process are discussed in detail, such as defining who is a combatant, the verification process, the identification and logistical management of assembly areas, food provisions to former combatants who were still armed, and protecting cantonment areas, to name a few.

The monograph also emphasises the importance of strategic planning for reintegration and the need for political pressure on a government to find a solution to the enormous range of tasks associated with the disarmament and integration of combatants. Because of ongoing peace processes and preparations for elections, they neglected initially to spend sufficient time on reintegration planning, an extremely technical process that requires not only careful design, but also logistical support.

This particular operation in Burundi is a good example of what is possible when there is a positive relationship between government and international role players, as well as cooperation amongst international partners. The DDR process in Burundi was once regarded as one of the most intractable problems to be addressed during the transitional period, but it has become one of the positive drivers of the transition since it started in December 2004. Most of the disarmament and demobilisation was completed in nine months. The reintegration process started in late 2005 and if it continues at the current pace it can be completed in a shorter time frame than the four years provided for.

What now remains outstanding is the issue of security sector reform, which is beyond the scope of this monograph. It is clear that this poses a significant challenge to the Government of Burundi.