Socio-Economic Reintegration of Ex-Soldiers: A Case of Two Cooperatives one male & one female in Addis Ababa
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Date
2002-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
When the EPRDF fighters defeated the Derg army in May 1991, the losing army was totally
demobilized. The new Transitional Government of Ethiopia established a Commission, which
facilitated the return of the ex-soldiers into civilian life. Among the estimated 500,000
demobilized soldiers about 156,710 preferred to settle in the urban areas of the country of which
42,914 returned to Addis Ababa.
To receive reintegration supports, some members of the demobilized soldiers were organized in
cooperatives and in Addis Ababa about 1,755 ex-soldiers were engaged in different cooperatives.
This thesis attempts to investigate the socio-economic reintegration of the ex-soldiers organized
in two cooperatives. The study is largely based on detailed life histories of the ex-soldiers
covering pre-military life through to the present situation.
The ex-soldiers, 13 males and 9 females, have different reasons for their recruitment. Some of
the reasons why they joined the army were to defend a country, as a job opportunity, for career
development, initiated by army family members, etc. Once they joined the army they were
engaged in combat, political work, office duties and technical activities. Females were however
confined to only secretarial duties.
Despite the government’s claim of economic, political and security reasons for demobilization,
all of my respondents categorically objected to it. Some considered it as revenge by their
previous war enemies, others as uprooting from normal life, and interruption in career
development. One can easily accept their arguments given that demobilization of a regular army
may mean displacing them from normal ways of life unlike the guerilla fighter where the reality
would be the reverse.
The ex-soldiers were assisted to start a productive and civilian life to achieve economic and
social reintegration. Economic reintegration would mean the engagement of the demobilized
soldiers in gainful productive activities and secure economic independence. They could achieve
social reintegration through social cohesion and their acceptance by the receiving communities.
Male ex-soldiers seem to achieve both economic and social reintegration. They are engaged in
full time productive activities and earn more than double what they had been getting in the army.
On the contrary female ex-soldiers have failed, especially economically, to achieve reintegration.
The major reasons for the variation in their integration are identified as follows.
First, males had the opportunities to develop technical and management capabilities in the army.
But females were confined to secretarial works. Second, the skills and management capabilities
gained in the army were transferred to civilian activities in the case of males. They were engaged
in wood and metal works, the activities they know very well. Those with management capacities
who were commanders and political leaders in the army have taken the responsibility of
managing the business. But females’ secretarial skills were disregarded and members were
ordered to organize themselves in food processing, a traditional women’ duties. Third, in the
case of males the project study was carried out properly in a way it could end in success. An
open area was given for construction, enough grants were provided, better follow up continued until it developed. In the case of the females, the project study was not well worked out. They
were given container shops at the edges of the main streets, two of which were removed after
seven-years, leading to their eventual displacement. At the moment the females are left with no
actual productivity and income.
When government help fails the community steps in supporting the ex-soldiers. Female exsoldiers
continued to secure support from their relatives, friends and the community. Hence, in
their current economic situations they depend on the size of their social networks.
The economic support gained from the community indicates that they are relatively socially
integrated. This in return is more influenced by the area they settled in. They have returned to a
city where most were living before. And more importantly the multiethnic nature of the
community helped them not to be expected to conform to certain ways of living. There is little
religious, language or other cultural barriers, which might hinder integration. Hence, the exsoldiers
are almost invisible as soldiers. But it is difficult to generalize because there are still
some who are trying their best to achieve full social integration. Among others, longer military
life (males) and unemployment (females) still remain as barriers.
In general, it seems appropriate to conclude that both male and female ex-soldiers have been
relatively socially integrated and the males have also developed self-reliance economically.
Females failed because of accumulated problems, beginning from neglect in the capacitybuilding
in the army, disregard of their skills in transformation into civilians, and, more
importantly, placing them in poorly designed reintegration projects and negligence to correct the
problems. If demobilization, among others, was motivated by economic development those demobilized persons should have been a part of it. It should not have contributed to the already prevailing high unemployment
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Social Anthropology