Monograph 98

This research paper examines disarmament as a critical pillar of peace-building in Africa, contrasting the successful model in Sierra Leone with the ongoing challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It argues that disarmament must be integrated into broader political settlements and national recovery strategies, emphasizing the need for comprehensive planning, inclusive lead agencies, and the addressing of 'special groups' like child soldiers. The text highlights the shift from traditional peacekeeping to multifunctional peace support operations and the increasing role of regional bodies in managing African conflicts.

• Disarmament is most effective when it is not an ad hoc process but an integral part of a broader DDR programme resulting from peace negotiations and implementation, running parallel to the political process.
• The proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is a primary driver of conflict in Africa due to their low cost, ease of use, and availability from Cold War leftovers and Eastern bloc imports.
• Successful disarmament requires detailed pre-planning, including the identification of lead agencies, timing, categories of people to be disarmed, and specific methods for the secure storage and destruction of weapons.
• The UN mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is cited as a global best practice example, having disarmed and demobilized 72,490 combatants and collected 42,300 weapons and 1.2 million rounds of ammunition by January 2002.
• In Sierra Leone, 'simultaneous disarmament' was used as a confidence-building measure to reduce mistrust between the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the Civil Defence Force (CDF) by disarming them in parallel within one-month periods.
• Disarmament programmes often fail to adequately address 'special groups,' such as child soldiers and female combatants, who may be excluded by 'one man, one gun' eligibility criteria.
• In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), disarmament is complicated by a 'vicious cycle' where the illegal exploitation of natural resources (such as coltan, diamonds, and gold) funds the purchase of arms, which in turn sustains the conflict.
• The UN mission in the DRC (MONUC) shifted from a Chapter VI mandate to a stronger Chapter VII mandate via Resolution 1493 in July 2003, allowing for the protection of civilians and the disarmament of Congolese combatants.
• Peace support operations in Africa are increasingly 'Africanized,' driven by the OAU principle of 'African solutions to African Problems' and the rise of regional hegemonies like Nigeria and South Africa.

APA

Alusala, N. (n.d.). Monograph 98. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono98.pdf

Chicago

Alusala, Nelson. Monograph 98. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono98.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Alusala |first1=Nelson |title= Monograph 98 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono98.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alusalandmonograph, author = {Alusala, Nelson}, title = {{ Monograph 98}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono98.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }