| Summary/Abstract |
On the basis of 12 months of field research conducted in nine cities in Côte d’Ivoire, this study explores the relationship between demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) and transitional justice. It finds that suggestions that the two should be totally isolated from one another are both extremely difficult and undesirable in a post-conflict setting where DDR and transitional justice interact frequently and could, in theory, have many positive ramifications for one another. However, contrasting propositions that far-reaching coordination should occur between DDR and transitional justice are not without difficulty. Bringing the two initiatives together is often challenging, particularly at a national level where the political will of post-war governments can be lacking and populations resistant to more comprehensive peacebuilding programmes. Instead, the article proposes, a third, more moderate approach to coordination. It suggests that a bare minimum level of cooperation should be considered a benchmark, ensuring that DDR and transitional justice practitioners are always aware of what is occurring in the other domain. Beyond this, greater cooperation may not be possible, but where it is, it is most likely to be achieved successfully at a local level, between social reintegration and personal reconciliation
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