Reintegration of former fighters

The reintegration of former fighters is a complex issue. Their past experience as combatants in a theatre of war decreases their chances of being reconnected with a normal social setting. Moreover, the local socio-economic and political environment of a developing country is also not conducive which again pushes them back to their old ways. The native population supports them on one pretext or another. The people provide them with food and shelter considering them as someone involved in a noble cause or get intimidated by their appearance and the weaponry they carry with them.

The strength of armed groups, in terms of their numbers, often overawes the poor households and they become part of a local support system for them on a regular basis. When a combatant, who is prepared for an active engagement with his enemy forces, suddenly gets no adversary, he starts wondering in different realms of activities. These actions are primarily focused on establishing authority over a range of areas. For example, they try to make their presence felt by patrolling the streets and roads and make brief stopovers at different locations. They make inroads in the market places and start regulating the things like prices and rate lists.

They assume the responsibility of vigilantes and remain awake throughout the night and even ask questions from police patrol or a foot constable. They send messages to the gangsters of the locality to reign in their activities as the pure have arrived in their districts or villages. They also occupy the mosque to send the message of jihad to the locals and encourage them to join them in the battle against infidel forces. The important questions are: how to reintegrate such fighters in their original social surroundings? Can these fighters be consumed somewhere else through relocation?

The experiments of reintegration of former fighters have not been totally successful. The de-learning process is often lengthy and creates ambiguities in the mind of a fighter. It might be useful for those combatants who have just stepped into the realm of armed engagement but have not tasted the battlefield experience. The de-radicalisation programmes therefore do not bear fruits particularly in case of battle-hardened fighters. These fighters remain in a passive state of mind once they come out of any de-radicalisation programme but disengagement does not necessarily mean that they have abandoned their ideology. As a result, an event or an incident suddenly triggers them to action and they slide back to their original state of mind. These issues have cropped up everywhere as former fighters are subjected to de-radicalisation programmes. Majority of them, after getting out of these centres, tend to rejoin militant groups and remain engrossed in militancy. Only a few of them lie low and maintain a submissive attitude out of fear and retribution. It is therefore essential that the country of their origin must maintain sustained kinetic actions against these groups to bog them down and instill fear in them. Once it is achieved, these fighters must undergo reintegration and resettlement. The fear factor can appreciably deter them and the fighters feel that they are being surveilled round the clock.

An interesting alternative arises in selective cases whereby these fighters may be permanently relocated to the country where they have been gaining battlefield experience. Such a settlement has two prominent ramifications. First, these fighters are consumed in another land without disturbing the social environment of the country of their origin. They get themselves synchronised with an environment of their liking and attitude. Second, the country of their relocation can further shift them to another conflict zone through a mutual agreeable way. They can also be employed for security duties in their host country. The burden of reintegration on the country of their origin decreases appreciably and the chances of the fighters coming back to their native lands also diminish sharply.

However, in all methods of reintegration and relocation, the unintended consequences always persist for a long period of time. Therefore, the country of their origin must be ready for surprises and new realities.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2023.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.