Monograph 100

The document argues that youth combatants in Sierra Leone often exercise 'tactical agency', choosing to join militias not only through coercion but as a rational response to systemic marginalization. It identifies three primary constraints: economic collapse and the failure of patronage systems; the destruction of educational infrastructure; and political exclusion by traditional elders and the state. The author notes that these same root causes make demobilized youth susceptible to re-conscription if Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes fail to provide sustainable livelihood and educational alternatives.

• Youth combatants often join armed factions voluntarily as a rational strategy to survive in environments where other options are non-existent or unattractive, a concept described as 'tactical agency'.
• Economic constraints, including the decline of the national economy in the 1980s and the collapse of traditional patronage systems, drove youth toward militias as a means of survival.
• The destruction of schools and the loss of income for families during the conflict removed educational barriers to joining militias, as youth viewed fighting as a substitute for unavailable schooling.
• Political exclusion and the perceived 'rotten system' of the APC government, as well as the manipulative nature of traditional village elders, motivated youth to join the RUF to seek change and status.
• The RUF provided an alternative social structure based on merit and clear rules, which was more appealing to marginalized youth than the nepotistic and complex customary laws of their villages.
• Failure of DDR reintegration programmes—specifically unfulfilled promises regarding school fees, tools, and sustainable employment—creates a high risk of re-conscription.

APA

Peters, K. (n.d.). Monograph 100. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono100.pdf

Chicago

Peters, Krijn. Monograph 100. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono100.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Peters |first1=Krijn |title= Monograph 100 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono100.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{petersndmonograph, author = {Peters, Krijn}, title = {{ Monograph 100}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono100.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }