Assessing Targeted vs. Dispersed Support in Ex-Combatant Reintegration, with a Focus on Female Combatants and Child Soldiers

This essay will critically evaluate the tensions between targeted versus dispersed support in relation to the reintegration of ex-combatants. It will examine cases of ex-combatants, including female combatants and child soldiers, and argue that the most effective approach to reintegration is a combination of both.

First, it will analyze the cases of ex-combatants from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where targeted and dispersed approaches to reintegration were taken, respectively. Then, looking at Liberia and Burundi, it will focus on the more complex situations regarding former female combatants and their paths to reintegration. Finally, evaluating the circumstances of former child soldiers post demobilization, it will conclude that a blended approach to reintegration is a stronger proposal than either alone.

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