Disarmament – 2004

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Disarmament – 2004

2004

Intermediate Implementation Intermediate implementation

In the period between Phases I and II of the DDRR process, the UNMIL announced that it would cease to offer payment immediately upon the receipt of weapons and would return to the original DDRR stipend dispersal scheme that dictated $150 be paid following the 2-3 week demobilization process and another $150 be paid after the ex-combatants were reintegrated. The payment upon immediate receipt of weapons was adopted during the December 2003 phase of DDRR merely as a stabilizing mechanism due to the initial unrest associated with the DDRR process.1

The second phase of demobilization and disarmament began on 15 April. At the beginning of the second phase, all parties except the LURD had submitted partial lists of their combatants, locations, and weapons. Phase 2 involved 4 separate cantonment locations, the last of which closed on 14 September 2004. Phase 3 began on 7 July 2004 and involved an additional four cantonment sites around the country. The DDRR process officially ended on 31 October 2004, at which point 101,449 former combatants had been disarmed and demobilized. 22,313 of these ex-combatants were women and 11,024 were children. 27,892 weapons were collected during the official DDRR process. However, the NCDDRR decided that the UNMIL would still continue to conduct mobile disarmament operations after the official end of the program, especially in the northeast and southeast regions of the country.2

After the DDRR process officially ended on 31 October, individuals still in possession of weapons illegally could be prosecuted.3 Disarmament in these areas of the country remained difficult as ex-combatants held onto their weapons in hopes of reaping benefits from turning in their weapons in the disarmament process in neighboring Cote D’Ivoire. The Ivorian disarmament process promised a total of $900 to each combatant turning in weapons, creating an incentive for Liberian combatants to forgo the $300 associated with the Liberian DDRR process.4

102,193 combatants were disarmed by November 2004. During this period, 27,000 weapons were collected, along with 6,153,631 Small Arms Ammunition and 29,794 Other Ammo were collected.5

  1. “Liberia; UN Discontinues Immediately $75 Cash Payout to Disarmed Fighters,” Africa News, February 20, 2004.
  2. “Secretary General’s Report to the UN Security Council,” United Nations Security Council (S/2004/972), December 17, 2004.
  3. “Liberia; UN Brings Forward Deadline for Ending Disarmament,” Africa News, September 1, 2004.
  4. “Liberia; Rebels are Slow to Disarm in Southeast, UN Says,” Africa News, October 13, 2004.
  5. “DDRR Consolidated Report,” NCDDRR (2004), http://www.lr.undp.org/DEX/DDRR%20Consolidated%20Report%20Phases%201,2,3…, accessed May 10, 2011.