Demobilizing Armed Civilians

This research-based policy paper criticises current, international concepts for how combatants are being 'Disarmed, Demobilized and Reintegrated'. It argues that the underlying assumptions about state/society and civil/military distinction do not hold for current forms of armed conflict. Analyzing two experiences with the dismantling of non-statutory armed groups in post-conflict South Africa and Guatemala, the paper suggests that interventions should focus more on the 'software' of identity and organization rather than only looking at the 'hardware' of the weapon.