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Many authors, policy-makers, and practitioners argue that security is crucial for post-war initiatives; there can be no elections, empowerment of civil society, or economic prospects without security. By the same token, many argue that disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) are key processes in ensuring security during post-conflict reconstruction. However, experiences of DDR reveal an important international focus on resources for and commitment to disarmament and demobilisation with fewer resources devoted to reintegration. Reintegration is thus reduced to addressing gaps left by demobilisation and the reinsertion of ex-combatants into civilian life, leaving policy-makers and implementers to deal with a narrow array of choices and complex dilemmas. On one end of the spectrum, there are ex-combatants with expectations and needs, and on the other end, there are unmet community needs and untapped potentialities. This limited focus on reintegration jeopardises the reinsertion of ex-combatants and challenges the goals of reintegration: at the individual level, the healing of relationships between ex-combatants and their communities; and at the societal level, the transition to a peaceful society that favours reconstruction and development.
The role of communities, other than serving as hosts for ex-combatants, is still very blurred. The impact of war is devastating for communities, both physically and as the bedrock of political and social institutions, informal networks of relationships, common history and shared memories. However, despite the destruction that accompanies war, experiences of postconflict reconstruction show that by the time reintegration starts, local populations have already begun a process of socio-economic reconstruction. As soon as there is a sense of security, residents and some early returnees begin the difficult task of rebuilding relationships, traditional institutions and the local economy, as well as addressing the trauma resulting from the conflict. It is this quiet, community-driven reconstruction process that makes reintegration a viable option for ex-combatants.
Too often, the focus on ex-combatants overshadows this community-driven reconstruction process, thus hindering stakeholders from tapping into the potential within communities. As Saunders states, “Only human beings can transform hostility into relationships of peace. There is a human dimension in starting and ending conflict, and building peace is also a human not just an institutional task”. The human dimension of conflict and the role of citizens as individuals or in organised structures has become the basis of many conflict resolution strategies; the same holds for reintegration.
This article defines disarmament and demobilisation and establishes the link between these two processes and reintegration. Building on this theoretical framework, as well as the framework of DDR in the case of Liberia, the challenges and issues related to reintegration in Liberia are analysed by examining the relationships between ex-combatants and communities. Suggestions to improve community involvement and relationships between communities and ex-combatants are finally provided.
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