Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) has become a central pillar in the global peace architecture over the past three decades Originating largely within United Nations peacekeeping practice, DDR is designed to manage the transition from war to peace by removing weapons from combatants, dismantling armed group networks, and supporting individuals to reintegrate as productive civilians. The United Nations defines DDR as a foundational process that “lays the groundwork for safeguarding and sustaining the communities to which these individuals return, while building capacity for long-term peace, security and development.”
In an era marked by evolving conflict dynamics, from inter-state wars to insurgencies, terrorism, and transnational violent extremism, DDR’s relevance has only increased. Globally, the international community has integrated DDR within peace agreements from Colombia to the Central African Republic, underlining its enduring role in peace operations. This expansive adoption also aligns with the United Nations’ New Agenda for Peace, which emphasises prevention and the capacity to reinforce political peace processes.
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Notwithstanding its recognised importance, DDR’s effectiveness hinges on adoption and contextualisation by regional organisations and national governments. Against this backdrop, the African Union (AU) has pursued a continental DDR framework, intended to harmonise national initiatives with continental peace and security ambitions.
The African Union’s efforts to strengthen DDR on the continent are embedded in a long-standing collaboration with the United Nations and the World Bank. This partnership, institutionalised through phased frameworks since 2013, seeks to build sustainable DDR capacity across the AU, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and member states.
In October 2023, the AU Commission, the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), the United Nations Department of Peace Operations, and the World Bank formally launched the fourth phase of this implementation framework, targeting the period 2023–2025. The agreement articulates shared principles, objectives, and activities for strengthening DDR institutional and operational capabilities.
Under this framework, four mutually reinforcing pillars, analysis and research, knowledge management and monitoring, capacity building, and operational support guide continental and national DDR engagements. These pillars reflect global best practice, seeking to translate lessons from profound DDR experiences across Africa and elsewhere into effective continental cooperation.
Nigeria’s Journey Towards Adoption
The adoption of the AU’s DDR principles at the national level is best illustrated by Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to finalise and validate its own DDR framework. In late 2025 and early 2026, Nigeria moved decisively towards institutionalising a new national DDR strategy, one notably anchored in community needs and victim protection.
At a major national validation workshop in Abuja, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) of Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser presented a draft DDR framework designed to break cycles of violence in regions affected by terrorism, banditry, secessionist agitation and other forms of armed conflict. Through extensive consultations conducted across all six geopolitical zones, the draft policy has been shaped by the voices of victims, traditional leaders, women’s and youth groups, security agencies, civil society and others who have borne the toll of conflict.
Crucially, Nigeria’s emerging framework departs from conventional DDR approaches that focus solely on ex-combatants. Instead, it emphasises a victim-centred model that explicitly prioritises community healing, protection of vulnerable groups, and community consent as foundations for sustainable reintegration. The National Coordinator, Maj-Gen. Adamu Laka, described the emerging DDR strategy as “one of Nigeria’s most people-centred peacebuilding tools in recent years,” underscoring its focus on dignity, fairness, and structured pathways back into society for those renouncing violence.
The Director of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at NCTC, Amb. Mairo Abbas, reinforced this perspective by stressing that the success of reintegration is contingent upon active community participation and resilience, a view that aligns with contemporary global DDR thinking, which recognises the inseparability of social cohesion, economic opportunity and security.
Technical endorsement from the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre (AUCTC) further highlights how national initiatives can reflect continental guidance. AUCTC officials have lauded Nigeria’s inclusive approach as illustrative of the AU’s broader DDR principles, emphasising that alignment with AU peace and security architecture enhances coherence across scales.
Continental Uptake: Beyond Nigeria
While Nigeria represents one of the more visible national efforts to adopt a DDR strategy aligned with AU priorities, broader continental adoption remains uneven. Across Africa, DDR implementation continues to be shaped by specific conflict contexts, ranging from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan to Mali, Mozambique, and beyond. In many contexts, traditional DDR programmes have been challenged by prolonged insecurity, insufficient financing, and weak reintegration markets, limiting long-term success.
Nevertheless, the AU’s strategic engagements, including high-level consultative workshops to integrate political dimensions into DDR and reinforce its linkages with conflict resolution and governance reforms indicate an evolving continental appreciation for DDR as a multipronged instrument. In March 2025, the AU convened experts, regional bodies, and international partners to explore how politically informed DDR strategies could be woven into broader peace frameworks.
The AU’s continued emphasis on capacity building, institutional support and regional cooperation reflects a measured but deliberate approach to strengthening the adoption of DDR principles at national and regional levels.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Despite these positive signals, significant barriers to full adoption remain. Financing gaps at the national level often constrain the most critical components of DDR, particularly reintegration programmes that require sustained economic and psychosocial support. In contexts such as Nigeria’s North-East, ex-combatants historically encountered hardship, limited livelihood options, and poor access to services, realities that have undermined retention in DDR programmes and reintegration outcomes.
Furthermore, institutional capacity at both national and regional levels varies widely, shaping diverse adoption speeds across the continent. Coordinating efforts with peace support operations, security sector reform initiatives, and long-term development strategies remains a complex governance challenge.
At the continental level, integrating DDR within the AU’s broader Peace and Security Architecture, including Silencing the Guns initiatives and political conflict prevention mechanisms will require enhanced political resolve, financing, and normative coherence among member states.
A Framework Taking Root, but Pace Varied
The AU’s DDR Framework represents a significant continental effort to standardise and elevate disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration as foundational elements of peacebuilding across Africa. While the global architecture sees DDR as a core post-conflict instrument, its efficacy ultimately depends on national adoption and implementation tailored to context. Nigeria’s evolving DDR policy, notable for its focus on victims, community participation, and structured reintegration pathways exemplifies how AU principles can translate into national strategies.
Continental progress, however, remains at varying stages. Advances such as AU-UN-World Bank partnerships to build capacity, dialogues on political dimensions of DDR, and renewed emphasis on community engagement reflect a maturing adoption trajectory. Yet, sustaining and deepening this trajectory will require consistent political commitment, adequate financing and integrated policy frameworks that link DDR with broader security, development and governance priorities.
Ultimately, the AU’s DDR Framework is gaining traction, increasingly influencing national policy design and continental discourse, even as the full realisation of its ambitions unfolds incrementally across the complex terrain of African peace and security.
