What if the FARC demobilizes?

In September 2012, the Colombian government officially announced ongoing peace talks with the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which remains the largest and strongest non-state armed group operating in the country. This paper focuses on 1 of the 6 points to be discussed during the negotiations, which envisages the ‘abandonment of weapons’ and the ‘economic, social and political re-incorporation of the FARC into civilian life’.

The paper highlights some of the critical issues that might emerge if the peace process between the Colombian government and this guerrilla group is successful:

• the social opportunities offered to ex-combatants in receiving communities are critical for their participation in local organisations
• a crucial issue associated with the demobilisation of combatants relates to child soldiers; this is critical in terms of providing special assistance to former child soldiers
• the creation of new social networks and managing old networks, establishing a clearer and more stable juridical framework and the creation of institutional trust will be vital for an enduring peace

Conclusions encompass:

• the rural identity of most FARC members should lead to a less urban-focused economic reintegration process; this will only be possible if rural development become a priority for the government
• the FARC areas need to receive a rapid injection of genuine local governance, particularly in terms of protection while demobilisation is being rolled out
• a middle political ground will probably be needed for a demobilisation of the FARC; for ex-combatants, this would mean translating some of their learned ideology into the political sphere
• a more general parallel weapons reduction program involving the civilian population will seemingly be required to lower levels of violence in the post-conflict period
• the illegal rents (i.e. cocaine industry) should be well addressed by the authorities
• in general, demobilisation process must be embedded in a wider peace-building framework