Publication

This paper discusses why after four international attempts to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate (DDR) Afghan militias the country is more militarized than ever. The paper's author attributes this sorry outcome to the way Afghan DDR programs have been politically manipulated by different actors. Western powers, for example, have tended to use the programs to demobilize certain armed groups while rearming and protecting others, particularly for short-term political or security gains. Powerful Afghan commanders, in turn, have used DDR programs to weaken their rivals as they jockeyed for government positions. The paper concludes with lessons we might apply to future DDR efforts in the country.