The Reintegration of Ex-Combatants

This thesis reveals influencing factors for the reintegration of ex-combatants after a civil war. Emphasizing the social and economic reintegration process, the case of post-war Burundi is examined and the specific features are highlighted. To this end, the ex-combatants" perceptions of the demobilisation and reintegration process and of the relevant programmes they attended are considered. Yet, the way community members, i.e. those who had not been fighting during the war, perceive and experience the return of ex-combatants is also taken into account. This qualitative research, which aims at examining the personal perception of these target groups, is based on data collected during a fieldwork stay in Burundi in 2006.