Opening Remarks - Ambassador Carson
"Demobilization, Reintegration and Reconciliation of Soldiers and Combatants"

A Workshop Sponsored by USAID
Nairobi, Kenya
8:40 - 9:00 A.M.
March 20, 2001

Welcome

On behalf of the U.S. Government, I would like to welcome you to the Workshop on Demobilization, Reintegration and Reconciliation of Soldiers and Combatants.  This workshop is jointly sponsored by the Bureau for Humanitarian Response, the Bureau for Africa, and REDSO--the Regional Economic Development Services Office of USAID.

A workshop of this nature requires extensive planning, and I would like to congratulate the Bureau for Humanitarian Response and the Bureau for Africa in USAID/Washington for the excellent job they have done in organizing a thoughtful agenda and inviting a group of dynamic speakers.  The staff of REDSO here in Nairobi has skillfully handled the administrative arrangements of the workshop so that participants can focus on the substance of the next two days.

Conflict in Africa

Africa is a continent besieged by conflict -- last year over half of the world's conflicts were concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, actively involving 50% of the countries in the region.  From Angola in the south to Sudan in the north, and from Somalia in the east to Sierra Leone in the west, civilians, soldiers and various communities have resorted to violence as a means of acquiring political power; controlling natural resources, settling historical grievances and sometimes just seeking revenge.  

These conflicts have had a devastating impact on the lives of millions of Africans.   They have displaced individuals, decimated families and destroyed entire communities.  More than 30 million people have been displaced at one time or another over the course of the last twenty years in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The sudden and unplanned movement of people disrupts economic productivity, interrupts educational and vocational pursuits and fragments livelihoods.

Armed conflict destroys roads, power plants, and communication facilities and sets back economic and infrastructure development.  Social structures are also frequently a casualty of armed conflict.  Sometimes they are deliberately targeted to create widespread and lasting damage.  During the Mozambican civil war, 70 % of the country's schools were destroyed, many of them intentionally.  The systematic attack on social structures and institutions has also been characteristic of the conflicts in southern Sudan, Sierra Leone and Angola. 

Armed conflict also results in the gross misuse and mismanagement of government funds.  National budgets are invariably focused on the war effort and funds for health, education and other social services are sharply reduced.  Eventually expenditures for defense crowd out those for human development.  In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa defense expenditures surpass those for health and education combined.  Today, the Sudanese government spends more than 50 times as much on its military as it does on health.  Despite its enormous oil and mineral wealth, Angola has more young soldiers than secondary school students and more guns than books. 

We have a role to play in reversing the high human cost of conflicts in Africa.  The U.S and others donors must continue to invest in and support African efforts to resolve violent conflict. We must continue to search for ways to promote conflict resolution and successful demobilization efforts.  It is possible to reduce the impact of conflict on individuals, families, and communities throughout Africa. A number of countries on the continent -- Mozambique, South Africa, Eritrea and Ethiopia -- have laid down their weapons and are attempting to recover and rebuild after years of violent conflict.  However, as countries move from war to peace and from years of civil strife to the beginnings of new development, we must keep in mind the role that disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and reconciliation play in sustaining the conflict resolution and peace building process. 

Why is this workshop important?

The current situation in Africa makes this workshop important for three reasons.

First, sustainable development is impossible without a process of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and reconciliation.  Without security or an appropriate environment that supports the rule of law, little or no development will take place and people will not have the confidence or hope that is required for them to start to rebuild their lives or become productive citizens.   As Liberia and Sierra Leone have shown, armed ex-combatants are a volatile and destabilizing group who represent a security risk to fragile transitional governments and to economic reconstruction.  Future stability, economic development and a consolidated peace process require that ex-combatants be successfully reintegrated -- or they will almost certainly become involved in political or criminal violence.

Second, Africa faces significant demobilization challenges.  Should the parties adhere to the deadlines established by the UN Security Council, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Rwanda will be withdrawing troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Rwanda alone expects to demobilize tens of thousands of troops in the aftermath of the withdrawal.  This presents major challenges for a country trying to stimulate economic growth and strengthen human capacity in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide.  Eritrea and Ethiopia are expected to demobilize large numbers of combatants as their peace process continues.  And the complex questions of demobilization seem even more complex in environments like Somalia.

Third, Africa cannot undertake successful demobilization programs without major outside financial and technical support.  Most of Africa's war-torn societies lack the budgetary resources to fund expensive reintegration and resettlement schemes, nor do they have the expertise or technical knowledge to manage and implement them.

We have learned a great deal about the demobilization process in recent years and several themes are likely to emerge from your discussions over the next two days.

First, successful demobilization programs are multi-sectoral and holistic.  The military, economic and social dimensions of demobilization are all equally important.  Disarming combatants without addressing their economic needs is a recipe for future instability.  Recent studies of effective demobilization clearly suggest that disarmament is an essential pre-requisite.  However, a wide range of additional support for demobilized soldiers is needed, including counseling, technical training, provision of tools, credit facilities, and the construction of houses. Focusing on former combatants' ability to become economically productive without considering the social concerns of re-entry to civilian life often results in a failure of reintegration and reconciliation.

Experts from a variety of disciplines can help in the demobilization and reintegration process.  Medical professionals can address the public health implications of demobilizing ex-combatants who frequently suffer from poor health and extremely high HIV infection rates.  Logisticians can improve the efficiency of the disarmament and demobilization phases of the process.  Psychologists and social workers can articulate the psychosocial challenges facing former combatants.  Military and legal advisors can address reforms in the security sector that are often needed in concert with demobilization programs.

Second, vulnerable groups deserve special attention in the demobilization process.   Child soldiers, women and the disabled regularly need a variety of special programs.

Children are more likely to become combatants if they are poor and disadvantaged, live in conflict zones or become separated from their families.  These risk factors need to be addressed in the demobilization and reintegration process.  Family reunification and re-attachment to family and community are important determinants of effective social reintegration, but must be balanced by a realistic assessment of the situation of the children's families, who may be deeply impoverished or physically and emotionally worn down by years of conflict.  Many under-aged soldiers significantly contribute to the incomes of their families, so the link must be made between education, employment opportunities and the economic security of the children's families as factors that determine successful reintegration and prevent re-recruitment.  Programs of education and vocational training should be a priority in the rehabilitation and social reintegration of under-aged combatants.  For the former child soldier, education is more than a route to employment.  It is a system in which children's lives can be normalized and they can be helped to overcome their experiences and develop an identity separate from that of soldier.

Reintegration programs have generally ignored the problems of female ex-combatants and the wives of ex-combatants.  These women have frequently acquired new roles during wars but are usually expected to return to their traditional roles in a post-conflict setting.  These situations create tensions that should not be ignored. In addition, women may have health needs that differ from male combatants. Socio-cultural or legal constraints may prevent women from participating in either the informal sector or the formal economy where there is more money.  Consequently, employment and training components of reintegration programs should consider the distinct needs of women.

Special assistance for disabled ex-combatants is also important as they may have unique economic, social and psychological needs due to their disabilities.  Experience suggests that separate programs for demobilized disabled combatants may not always be necessary or advisable.  But efforts must be made to address the needs of this vulnerable group.

Third, the role of the receiving communities is an area of importance that should not be overlooked.  In our quest to address the needs of former combatants we should not forget that they will be returning to families and communities… some of whom are in dire economic circumstances and may resent the special treatment that the demobilized soldiers receive.  Some of the members of these communities have survived abuses and atrocities at the hands of those they are expected to receive.  The success of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and reconciliation programs may depend as much on the thought we give to those that are doing the receiving as to those that are returning.

Finally, coordination among actors, flexibility in programming and rapid response to windows of opportunity is of particular importance to all of us..  The demobilization and reintegration process is inherently political in nature and dynamic in character. It is, therefore, vulnerable to political pressures, bureaucratic obstacles, and a turbulent operating environment.  Support for demobilization and reintegration efforts requires a large degree of flexibility and willingness to coordinate within the US Government and with other donors. This workshop can help identify the capacities of various organizations, clarify their roles and expectations, transfer specialized knowledge, disseminate best practices and--perhaps most importantly--foster genuine collaboration among the agencies and organizations represented at this workshop. This workshop is an opportune time to lay the groundwork for better coordination and response so that we do not find ourselves caught unprepared when faced with a demobilization situation.

I wish you well as you begin your discussions today.  I trust this workshop will be the beginning of enhanced technical capacity and improved collaboration as we jointly seek to support disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and reconciliation efforts in Africa.