Disarmament: Arusha Accord – 4 August 1993

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Disarmament: Arusha Accord – 4 August 1993

Implementations

Disarmament – 1993

There was no active DDR process to hand over weapons this year.

Disarmament – 1994

There was no active DDR process to hand over weapons this year.

Disarmament – 1995

There was no active DDR process to hand over weapons this year.

Disarmament – 1996

There was no active DDR process to hand over weapons this year.

Disarmament – 1997

Rwanda’s DDR began in 1997 and proceeded in two different phases. In the first phase, which began in September 1997 and lasted until February 2001, 18,692 soldiers from the Rwandan army (RPA) – 2,364 of whom were child soldiers and 15,000 of whom were former members of Former Rwandan Armed Force – were demobilized.1 No estimates were given on the specific number of weapons turned in by troops.

  1. “The Second Stage of Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Programme (RDRP Stage II),” RDRC, 2002.

Disarmament – 1998

The DDR program continued.

Disarmament – 1999

The DDR program continued.

Disarmament – 2000

The DDR program continued until 2001. The Rwandan government sought the disarmament of Hutu militias who remained in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.1

  1. “Rwanda Says No Withdrawal from Congo Without Disarmament of Hutu Militia”, Associated Press, November 14, 2000.

Disarmament – 2001

The second phase of demobilization started in December 2001 and ended in December 2008. In this phase, a total of 20,000 ex-combatants from RPA/RDF and 12,500 members of other armed groups were expected to be demobilized. By the end of March 2008, 22,362 RDF were demobilized, thereby exceeding the target number. Another 6,397 ex-combatants from other armed groups including 661 child combatants were demobilized.1 Those mobilized received insertion benefits and reintegration allowances. Turning in arms was part of the DDR processes, but many produced no weapon. No estimates were given on the specific number of weapons turned in by troops.

  1. “DDR-Rwanda,”Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission, January-March 2008, 4, accessed September 19, 2011, www.rdrc.org.rw.

Disarmament – 2002

The DDR program continued until 2008.

Postscript: It was reported that Rwanda destroyed 6,000 small arms in late 2004.1

  1. “RDRC, 2001-2008,” accessed September 19, 2011, http://escolapau.uab.cat/img/programas/desarme/mapa/rwanda09i.pdf.