Research Brief: Disengagement as a Social Network Enterprise

Abstract

This research brief describes the disengagement process of formerly armed actors (FAAs) from a Non-State Armed Group (NSAG) as a social network enterprise. It characterises leaving an NSAG as a relational process shaped by various nodes in a defector's network and actors at multiple societal levels such as family and community members, other FAAs, government officials, and (I)NGO professionals, varying across conflict settings and individual cases. The analysis emphasises the importance of relationships in informing individual disengagement decisions and the logistical support required for successful outcomes. It underscores the need to understand how social networks function and recommends to the institutions involved in Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) meaningful engagement with the vast range of actors implicated in this process.