PKSOI Lessons Learned Report January 2019 | Page 27

Concise Guidance to Carry Out DDR
(Lesson #2708)
Observation:
Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) is a topic of great concern to the
national governments in the Lake Chad Basin, as well as other countries with interests in
the area, primarily European Union countries and the United States. However, all the
detailed laws, debates over precise wording, and conferences do not translate well to
concise guidance for Soldiers and Law Enforcement officers on the battlefield.
Discussion:
While the African Union, European Union, and United Nations representatives have spent
years debating and trying to write DDR policy for the Lake Chad Basin countries, the
Soldiers on the battlefield and the Law Enforcement and local government officials are the
ones who have to implement these policies. Even when policies are written in French and
English, many of the Soldiers and Law Enforcement officers speak neither of these
languages. They are not able to translate prose into the actions expected by those who
wrote them. There is often a disconnect between the writers and the executers of policy,
which is very difficult to breach. Major General Irabor (Nigeria), the commander of the
MNJTF at the time (2017-2018), even stated the same thing in private meetings and in
public forums. Even though he had feet in both arenas, as a policy developer and local
Soldier fresh from the battlefield, it was difficult for him to ensure those under his command
complied with DDR policies of the four national governments he had to work with.
Recommendations:
While national laws must be detailed and thoroughly written to address all legal implications
of the DDR process, directions and guidance to the military and law enforcement officers on
the ground must be clear and concise and written in a manner that someone with minimal
literacy can understand.
Implications:
If this recommendation isn't followed, the Soldiers and Law Enforcement officers will continue
to do their best on the ground, but may not be as effective or efficient as they otherwise
would with better guidance.
Sources:
This lesson is based on the experience of the lesson author at the Cell for Coordination and
Liaison (CCL), MNJTF, May 2017 – June 2018, N’Djamena, Chad.
Lesson Author: LTC Adam Martin (US), US Deputy Commander, MNJTF CCL.
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