Reintegrating Ex-Combatants or Dividing Communities? Analysing Power Inequalities in Nigeria’s Amnesty Programme

Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programmes are integral components of post-conflict peacebuilding. The reintegration of ex-combatants is seen as the hallmark of successful DDR programming. While there is significant analysis of social and economic reintegration of ex-combatants, research seldom analyses how DDR impacts power relations in conflict-affected communities. This study addresses this gap by analysing the impact of Nigeria’s Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), a DDR programme designed and implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria, on reproducing unequal power relations in conflict-affected communities in the Niger Delta. Based on primary data, the study finds that the implementation of PAP empowered leaders of armed militant groups in the Niger Delta, positioning militia leaders to dominate community leadership. The study concludes by reflecting on the policy implications of the research, with recommendations on how peacebuilding programmes, such as DDR, could be designed to reduce power inequalities instead of reinforcing them.