Demobilization and its Implications for HIV/AIDS

Demobilization exercises are being implemented with increasing frequency worldwide. Traditionally demobilization of military personnel has followed the signature of peace accords to facilitate the transition from war to peace and to preserve national and international security. Encouraged by international financial organizations, many countries are also restructuring their public expenditure, reducing military budget allocations and downsizing military personnel to shift scarce resources to, for instance, poverty reduction.

Planning and executing the demobilization of combatants requires careful consideration of who will be demobilized; what responsibilities will be assumed by national and international agencies; how the combatants will be informed, disarmed, discharged, and reinserted into civil society; and which benefits and services will be offered to them in the short and long term.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been particularly hard hit by conflicts, causing massive destruction, death and displacement of people. To ensure the success of the transition from war to peace, many countries have implemented demobilization and reintegration programs for ex-combatants. In addition to the implementation of peace agreements containing provisions for the demilitarization/disarmament of armed opposition groups as well as armed forces, international donor institutions and structural adjustment programs increasingly call for reductions in defense spending and phased demobilization of the military.

With very high HIV rates among some militaries, the implications of large-scale discharges are enormous. Demobilization in SSA countries must therefore be viewed in the context of repeated political instability, economic crisis and the AIDS epidemic. It cannot be viewed simply as a means to collect weapons from former combatants, rather it must be seen as a tool for improving the health and economic potential of individuals.