CIAO DATE: 04/2014
March 2014
United States Institute of Peace
Four programs for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of armed groups in Afghanistan have been undertaken since 2001, but they have reflected a piecemeal approach and produced limited results. A comprehensive DDR effort in the future is unlikely to work unless a settlement includes all armed groups, and the reintegration of commanders and fighters might better precede disarmament. In this Peace Brief, author Deedee Derksen examines those past programs and provides useful lessons for how DDR should proceed in the future.
Resource link: Reintegrating Armed Groups in Afghanistan: Lessons from the Past [PDF] - 311K