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Demobilization: Chapultepec Peace Agreement

Implementations

Demobilization – 1992

The Armed Forces of El Salvador (FAES) carried out the disbandment of civil defense units in April and May 1992, but failed to meet the established deadlines to withdraw all its troops to the agreed-upon locations, citing logistical issues. ONUSAL successfully pressured them to fulfill their agreements (with one exception). Although they were nominally integrated into the FAES on schedule, the Treasury Police and National Guard failed to abandon their barracks by the established deadline. In response, the FMLN, which had been demobilizing on schedule, refused to complete the concentration of its forces to the agreed-upon locations until the FAES upheld the agreement.¹ The Parties subsequently reached a negotiated agreement to concentrate forces in the established areas by 25 June 1992, and to present legislation to definitively abolish the National Guard and Treasury Police and establish a “Special Brigade for Military Security” (with no further transfers from military bodies to the National Civil Police) by 30 June 1992.² The FAES indeed completed its concentration of forces on 26 June 1992, and it disbanded the Territorial Service by 30 July 1992. The FMLN also completed the concentration of combatants according to the agreement by 26 June 1992. Some small groups of armed and uniformed persons in support of “public security committees” remained outside the concentration sites, but with pressure from ONUSAL, these groups also complied with the concentration agreements by 30 August 1992. The second 20% of FMLN ex-combatants were demobilized on 24 September 1992.³ The FNML had 15,009 organized memberships of which 8,552 were combatants (2,485 or 29.06 % female combatants, 2,474 were wounded non-combatants and 3,983 were political personnel.⁴

However, persisting delays in land transfers led the FMLN to suspend demobilization on 30 September 1992, promising not to resume until new dates were set for starting land transfers.⁵ The FAES had been progressing on the reduction of forces plan until late October 1992, when it suspended its demobilization in reaction to the FMLN’s suspension.⁶ With 31 October 1992, the original deadline to formally end the armed conflict, fast approaching, the office of the Secretary-General intervened and convinced the parties to set 15 December 1992 as the new date by which the FMLN would be fully demobilized and reintegrated and the FAES would be fully demobilized, reduced and purified, thus constituting the formal end of the armed conflict.⁷ The FMLN demobilized the third quintile of ex-combatants by 31 October 1992.⁸ As of 17 December 1992, a total of 8,876 FMLN combatants and 3,486 war handicapped and injured FMLN members were demobilized. On 23 December 1992, ONUSAL confirmed that the demobilization process reached its conclusion and the armed conflict between the Government of El Salvador and the FMLN formally ended on 15 December 1992.⁹

“Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations Security Council (S/23999), May 26, 1992; “Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations Security Council (S/24833), November 23, 1992.
“Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations Security Council (S/23999/Add.1), June 16, 1992.
United Nations Security Council, (S/24833).
Ilja A Luciak, After the Revolution: Gender and Democracy in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001), 4.
“Letter Dated 19 October 1992 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council,” United Nations Security Council (S/24699), October 19, 1992.
United Nations Security Council, (S/24833).
“Letter Dated 11 November 1992 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council,” United Nations Security Council (S/24805), November 13, 1992.
United Nations Security Council, (S/24833).
“Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL),” United Nations Security Council (S/25006), December 23, 1992.

Demobilization – 1993

The FAES accelerated the process of reduction of its forces, completing the demobilization of its rapid reaction infantry battalions on 6 February 1993 and completing the overall process of reduction of forces on 31 March 1993—nine months ahead of schedule and in higher proportions than originally planned.¹ The official date of final demobilization was recognized as 31 December 1993.²

“Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations Security Council (S/25812), May 21, 1993.
“Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations Security Council (S/1994/561), May 11, 1994.

Demobilization – 1994

Compensation of demobilized members of the FAES, which began on 15 December 1993, proceeded quickly in early 1994, and it was agreed on 28 January 1994 that the indemnities should be fully distributed by 30 June 1994.¹

“Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador,” United Nations Security Council (S/1994/561), May 11, 1994.

Demobilization – 1995

Demobilization of FMLN combatants as well as El Salvadorian Armed force completed before election in 1994. The FMLN transformed itself into a legitimate party be complying to the demobilization provisos of the accord and the FAES remained loyal to the civilians. Its strength was reduced almost in half by demobilizing its personnel. The estimated strength of the FAES was 22,000 in 1995, which was 38,000 less than its strength in 1991.¹

Bennett, D. Scott, and Allan Stam, “EUGene: A Conceptual Manual.” International Interactions (2000), 26:179-204.