DDR: THE CASE OF WEST AFRICA AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION

The author argues that DDR processes often fail because they prioritize the visible technical aspects of disarmament and demobilisation over the difficult task of reintegration. In West Africa and the Great Lakes region, 'conflict economies' and the desire of local actors to retain power undermine peace accords. The document suggests that without transitioning from a conflict economy to a peace economy and addressing political grievances, DDR cannot prevent a return to violence.

• The sequencing of DDR is often flawed, with too much focus on the visible 'DD' (disarmament and demobilisation) and insufficient attention to 'R' (reintegration), which should ideally be planned before the other two processes are executed.
• Successful reintegration requires a transition from a 'conflict economy' to a 'peace economy,' which involves changing who controls the levers of economic production and exchange. This is difficult because beneficiaries of war-time power shifts are often reluctant to trade their advantages for the uncertainties of peace.
• In West Africa, conflict economies transcend national borders, meaning a 'peace economy' in one state can be undermined by a 'conflict economy' in a neighboring state, facilitating the regional spread of war.
• In the Great Lakes region, DDR efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi are hindered by a lack of political will, as local factions prefer retaining local power over participating in a centralised system or risk losing dominance to rivals.

APA

Cornwell, R. (n.d.). DDR: THE CASE OF WEST AFRICA AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CIVILCORNWELL.PDF

Chicago

Cornwell, Richard. DDR: THE CASE OF WEST AFRICA AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CIVILCORNWELL.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cornwell |first1=Richard |title=DDR: THE CASE OF WEST AFRICA AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CIVILCORNWELL.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cornwellndddr, author = {Cornwell, Richard}, title = {{DDR: THE CASE OF WEST AFRICA AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CIVILCORNWELL.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }