Building Peace through DDR Programs: Lessons from Reintegrating Boko Haram Ex-Recruits in Cameroon

Abstract

In the countries of the Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram’s emergence has created major new security challenges for the region’s governments. Cameroon’s Far North region, the most populous in the country, is at the heart of these security issues. Since late 2020, Boko Haram has intensified attacks in Far North localities with assassinations targeting civilians, kidnappings, and looting in small towns along the Nigerian border. In response, the Cameroonian government has pursued a hardline strategy and militarized the affected localities. In addition to arbitrary arrests, prolonged pre-trial detention, prison overcrowding, and the death penalty are all sources of concern. This policy note outlines core findings from a case study of the Boko Haram ex-associates reintegration process in Cameroon. The note examines how existing community norms or mechanisms might be as useful as more standard approaches to disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) in addressing challenges presented by Boko Haram ex-associates in Cameroon.