Military Integration of Armed Groups as a Conflict Resolution Approach in Africa: Good Strategy or Bad Compromise?
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Date
2019
Authors
Kamais, Cosmas Ekwom
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Scientific Research Publishing
Abstract
This paper examines the integration of armed groups into security sector of a
country, especially the military, as an approach to peace building. It takes an
overview of such approaches in South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR). The paper argues that while
such an approach is good for peace’s sake, it usually fails to attain peace in the
long term due to its rushed conceptualization and implementation, lack of
sufficient resource support, lack of political will, vested interests by the armed
groups and external actor, among other reasons. Furthermore, the paper
notes that integration leads to disaffection among the rank and file of the national military; since some of the rebel elements become their seniors without
proper qualifications. The battle animosities and suspicion tend to persist
even after the integration. All these are factors that are likely to lead to
breakdown of a peace agreement; and eventual resumption of conflict with
formation of splinter factions of the integrated rebels, as is the case with National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) elements in DRC who
mutinied and formed M23 movement. In advancing the argument of failures
in military integration as a conflict resolution strategy, the paper glances back
at the Montevideo convention on the roles and obligations of states. It points
out an interesting line of thought that states engage with states and not
non-states. Thus, engaging with armed groups runs the risks of recognition
and legitimization of armed groups and may lead to more demands. Such
engagements also risk sending the wrong message that “violence pays” and
this can lead to formation of more armed groups to agitate for their interests.
However, the paper recognizes that if post conflict integration of armed
groups into security structures of a country is done properly and with sufficient support, it is likely to lead to long term peace as is the case in
post-genocide Rwanda. This is especially in times of conflict where alleviation of human suffering is primary. The paper concludes with the call to re-evaluate
the approaches of integration of armed groups into the security structure in a
wholistic manner as part of the security sector reforms (SSR). And since every
country’s situation is different in terms of conflict history and culture, a fit-all
template is not feasible and thus integration approaches need to take these
diversities into consideration.
Description
A research article published in Open Access Library Journal
Keywords
International Relations, Military Science
Citation
Kamais, C.E. (2019) Military Integration of Armed Groups as a Conflict Resolution Approach in Africa: Good Strategy or Bad Compromise? Open Access Library Journal, 6: e5518. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1105518