| ID | 168800 |
| Title Proper | Wealth in Ex-Combatants |
| Other Title Information | Examining the Resilience of Ex-Command Structures in Postwar Liberia |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Themnér, Anders |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Recent research has shown that disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs often fail to uproot wartime command structures. A key question is why some ex-commanders succeed in retaining control over their ex-fighters, while others are less successful. This study seeks to address this question by comparing four former midlevel commanders (ex-MiLCs) in Liberia and the ex-combatant networks that they head. Contrary to previous assumptions, which have stressed the tendency of ex-fighters to flock around ex-commanders operating in spaces of marginality, I argue that ex-MiLCs employed as government brokers and who funnel patronage from ruling elites to ex-combatants are likely to possess the most durable networks. These findings highlight how ex-military bonds thrive where previous research expects them to be weakest: close to government elites who are often designated as “agents of change” by international peacemakers. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Global security Studies Vol. 4, No.4; Oct 2019: p.526–544 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Global security Studies Vol: 4 No 4 |
| Key Words | Disarmament ; Civil Wars ; Liberia ; Peacebuilding ; DDR ; Ex-Combatants ; Demobilization and Reintegration Of Ex-Combatants ; Informal Command Structures |