Transitional Demobilization and Reintegration Programme in Africa

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The TDRP was launched in the second half of 2009 with the ultimate strategic objective of enhancing the prospects for stabilization and recovery in the Great Lakes Region. It has three specific objectives: to provide financial and technical support; to expand demobilization and reintegration coverage, and to facilitate dialogue, information exchange and learning. The TDRP is funded through a multi-donor trust fund managed by the World Bank covering grants to national programs, sub-projects, regional activities and the management of the TDRP. The trust fund amounts to US$ 33.71 million and as of March 20th 2013 total disbursements stand at US$ 21.8 million. The extension, which this programme is responding, of the TDRP would continue the demand driven geographical expansion of program activities away from ‘traditional’ TDRP countries to emerging centers of conflict in West Africa, the Sahel and Horn of Africa, along with the two Sudan’s where there has been and will continue to be a demand for TDRP expertise. Currently the needs in these Fragile and Conflict Affect States (FCS) and transnational areas are receiving renewed attention, often with more African regional and continental leadership than has been the case in the recent past. This presents an opportunity for the World Bank and TDRP donors to enable African leadership through the application of TDRP operational, technical, and knowledge management expertise, and the cross-border analytical and operational perspectives in critical and emerging fragile and conflict affected areas. Particularly, the regional approach of the TDRP (built on the preceding MDRP) can be of strategic value when addressing the drivers of conflict and developing and implement a new approach to peace building and stabilization. The programme has been successful in its goals to reintegrate to society hundreds of thousands of ex-combatants. Various examples have been reported during the project about how ex-military groups have been successfully integrated back to socieatal activities after handing over the weapons and negotiating about their status in the community.