ABSTRACT
The disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of armed groups is a common intervention introduced following war. As a “technology” of stabilization, DDR advances a host of goals and activities including the surrender of arms, the intentional erosion of command and control structures, the conversion of combatants into non-violent citizens, and the rapid improvement of security and safety. Yet DDR on its own seldom yields stability. Indeed, even following DDR, many post-conflict settings feature rates of violence that rival those during periods of open warfare. Part of the reason for this is because DDR may not be the most appropriate or effective tool in all circumstances. This is because the underlying motivations of collective violence often transforms, yielding new patterns, and vulnerabilities. What is more, the geography of violence may also shift. Indeed, changes in violence may be a result of stability efforts, or not.
