Social, economic reintegration of ex-fighters a priority

The social and ecomomic reintegration of former fighters is now one of the most important challenges for the Sierra Leonean government and all key partners in the current phase of post-disarmament, the head of the national body which gives support to former fighters said in a recent presentation to international donors.

The expansion and delivery of short to medium term reintegration opportunities is now possible following the completion of dismarmament and demobilisation in early January, Francis Kai-Kai, Executive Secretary of the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (NCDDR) said on 8 February. Between May 2001 and January 2002, 47,766 combatants, including ex-rebels of the Revolutionary United Front and pro-government Civil Defence Forces, were disarmed, demobilised and discharged. Of these, some 4,370 were child soldiers.

To aid their reintegration into the community, NCDDR currently offers former fighters opportunities in areas including agriculture, vocational training and small enterprise development, formal education, apprenticeship schemes and public works. Of the 29,656 former fighters that have registered with NCDDR for reintegration support, about 17,951 have participated in the programmes, which vary in length from 6-12 months. Some 368 former child soldiers have also been supported in various training outlets, Kai-Kai added.

These programmes are more readily available in parts of the country where rebels had not settled during their decade-long war with the Sierra Leonean government. Many recently disarmed and demobilised people living in former rebel territory, namely the east and north of Sierra Leone, have not been able to benefit due to limited social and economic infrastructure in those areas. The slow return of public, NGO and private sector institutions and initiatives to these areas increases the reintegration challenge, Kai-Kai said, adding that most bodies require investment in capacity building and infrastructure before they will consider returning. Discussions are ongoing to find ways of expanding NCDDR's capacity to deliver the required service in the next three months.

Over 4,600 former fighters have already graduated from short-term support and this number is set to increase in the next few months. Some are participating in rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in various communities but, Kai-Kai warned, unemployment among them is a real possibility if the economy does not recover quickly enough to create jobs. To help alleviate this, the NCDDR is strengthening its links with community-based initiatives and national recovery activities including the National Commission for Social Action and other partners with a more medium to long term mandate for community recovery programmes. It will focus on developing a smooth transition from targeted to community-based inititatives to encourage community reintegration.

Funding is "a critical factor in the implementation of the DDR programme," Kai-Kai said. Projected expenditure amounts to some US $34.4 million, of which 77 percent will complete the payment of reinsertion benefits, a cash payment to help former fighters and their families following demobilisation and discharge, and reintegration support. Taking into account current funding pledges, there is still a shortfall of some US $13.5 million, he added.

The NCDDR programme was established in 1998 to support a strategy for peace and help to consolidate the political process. The disarmament of former fighters, as agreed under the Lome Peace Accord signed by the RUF and the government in July 1999, was interrupted in May 2000 following a resumption of hostilities. A ceasefire was signed in the Nigerian capital, Abuja in November 2000 and a political agreement to resume disarmament was reached in May 2001.