Managing the Remnants of War

Most armed conflicts today are waged within states. When a conflict is settled, the process of peace-building must begin. One of the first challenges is Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration. The risk of fresh violence will be reduced if combatants turn to peaceful pursuits, and their weaponry is disposed of definitively. The book, an edited volume published by the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), looks at weapons collection programs undertaken after armed conflicts in West Africa, Central America and South East Europe. It discusses their achievements and failures, and suggests general lessons that can be learned from both. The authors conclude that it is advisable, and easier, to remove the tools of war at the beginning of a peace process rather than at a later stage in order to prevent their proliferation in society. Field research, detailed political analyses, a wealth of data and practical recommendations make this study a useful handbook both for anyone interested in peace-building as well as for policy makers.