The challenges of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in Liberia

The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) succeeded in disarming and demobilizing more than 100,000 former fighters between December 2003 and November 2004. The disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and rehabilitation (DDRR) process played an important role in stabilizing Liberia after 15 years of civil war. However, some elements of the programme were unsatisfactory. For example, fewer than 28,000 guns were collected, raising severe doubts about the qualification criteria for admission to the process employed by UNMIL. Even more worrisome for regional peace and stability was the fact that UNMIL failed to provide reintegration opportunities for the demobilized fighters in an adequate and timely manner, creating a dangerous disconnect between the disarmament and the reintegration phases of the DDRR process.