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Congo-Brazzaville |
PEACE
What will become of the thousands of young people who fought during the
various civil wars?
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is
doing its best to find a solution
through a re-integration programme for
former fighters, and by collecting weapons
Let’s take a look at what’s happening in the Avenue de la Mfoa, just opposite the studios of Radio Congo. A crowd of young people are perusing lists fixed to a board in front of an open door. Some have come to collect cash. Those who’ve already received what they came for are overjoyed and make it plain for all to see. A young man, one of former Prime Minister Pascal Lissouba’s Ninja militia says: «The United Nations has given us invaluable help. Personally, I didn’t expect it and I started to despair». In Congo-Brazza, the IOM (Brazzaville section) is charged with carrying out the re-integration programme of former fighters and collecting up their weapons. The Programme is financed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Programme’s main aims are: «To help former militiamen in their efforts to reintegrate themselves into civilian life; to restore peace; to return the country to long-lasting economic normality».
In October 2000, the IOM announced it was planning a number of micro-projects which more than 1,000 former fighters would benefit from. It hoped to carry through these projects before the end of the year. The situation to-date is, that more than 600 micro-projects have been financed costing US $800,000, and more than 14,000 light weapons have been collected. After a decade of fighting between rival militia, material damage to property is assessed at 1,000 billion CFA and the number of people killed is still unknown. But what about the future of the thousands of young people who were members of the political parties’ private militia? It was necessary to await the cease-fire agreements signed at the end of 1999, so that the United Nations could make a start on re-integrating former fighters back into civilian life. This programme, launched a few months ago, is the last hope for these young people faced with unemployment and uncertainties about their future. There could be anything between 15,000-30,000 of these former militiamen.
A test group
Initially, the IOM chose a test group of 50 ex-militiamen, indicated by the Interior Ministry. They were primarily Cobras, Ninjas and Cocoyes, partisans respectively of Sassou Nguesso (Congo-Brazza’s current President), of Bernard Kolelas (former mayor of Brazzaville) and of Pascal Lissouba (a former president). The programme assists former fighters in finding employment and to learn to stand on their feet, and provides them with all the necessary training. The fifty were used as «guinea-pigs» to see how things would work out. Each of them received anything from 100,000 CFA Francs to 250,000 CFA Francs, depending on their chosen employment.
Most demobilized young people have opted for petty trading in foodstuffs. Alphonse Milongo, a former Ninja, is one such case. He’s set up shop in Kinésie, Bacongo, a southern suburb of Brazzaville. He says: «I received 350,000 CFA Francs in two instalments. With this, I was able to launch my kiosk. I’m now living with my family. However, I’ve got to work hard to save a little money. I’m no longer prepared to be misled if, by any chance, a politician should hand me a weapon to go off to war». Clement Miekassani, a former Cobra, thinks along the same lines. He says: «I can’t say I received enough ready cash to cater for all my needs but it did help me to start again with my profession — joinery. One thing is clear — I’m not going to war again». Other former fighters are interested in agricultural activities, in particular, market gardening or the food processing industry. Balou Mahoukou, is among this number. Together with four friends, he’s started a home-made bakery business. They received 1 million CFA Francs to get started up and in return, handed in their weaponry — 5 kalashnikovs and some grenades.
And the future?
So far, the total cost of this sensitive programme is in the region of US $5,500,000 dollars, financed by the UNDP, Norway, the United States and Sweden. Other donors, in particular the European Union, are attracted by this project and are ready to finance it. In addition to its own particular projects, the IOM, together with the Congolese authorities, intends to negotiate with companies, so that the young people can find temporary employment. In the long run, these companies will also profit by such a move «and», as Maximo Halty, manager of the programme explains, «will hopefully one day be able to take on the former fighters as permanent workers».
Some people, however, are somewhat sceptical about this initiative. They’re extremely doubtful that the young people will be able to adequately manage the money they’ve been given. An NGO leader puts it this way: «It’s not a bad thing to encourage the thousands of former militiamen to take up professional employment. But I believe that most of them are not really motivated to undertake productive work». It would be far better to concentrate ones energies and money on those, young or not, who are doing their best to set themselves up in business again, when their workshops have been ransacked during the wars. Gaston Bazengamio writes in the Catholic weekly magazine: La Semaine Africaine: «How will it be possible to really interest the former fighters, if the real people involved in the country’s economy are not taken into consideration and are not associated with the reflating programmes?»
However, Jean Bandelie, UNDP‘s representative in Congo, is of the opinion that involving the former fighters in the country’s economic revival «will help to facilitate Congo’s transitional period». The re-integration programme must also take-off in the southern regions of Congo, affected by the war.
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