| ID | 121846 |
| Title Proper | Reintegrating rebels into civilian life |
| Other Title Information | Quasi-experimental evidence from Burundi |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Gilligan, Michael J ; Mvukiyehe, Eric N ; Samii, Cyrus |
| Publication | 2013. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Considerable resources are devoted to ex-combatant reintegration programs in current peace processes, but evidence on their effectiveness remains thin. We use original survey data to study an ex-combatant reintegration program implemented after Burundi's 1993-2004 civil war. Previous quantitative studies have found reintegration programs to be ineffective, but only ex-combatants who self-selected into programs were studied. We avoid such selection problems with a quasi-experimental design exploiting an exogenous bureaucratic failure. We find the program resulted in a 20 to 35 percentage point reduction in poverty incidence among ex-combatants and moderate improvement in livelihoods. But this economic boost does not seem to have caused political reintegration: while we find a modest increase in propensities to report civilian life as preferable to combatant life, we find no evidence that the program contributed to either more satisfaction with the peace process or a more positive disposition toward current government institutions. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Conflict Resolution Vol. 57, No.4; Aug 2013: p.598-626 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Conflict Resolution Vol. 57, No.4; Aug 2013: p.598-626 |
| Key Words | Civil War ; Rebellion ; Post - Conflict Reconstruction ; Reintegration |