Socio-economic Reintegration Of Ex-soldiers A Case Of Two Cooperatives One Male One Female In Addis Ababa

When the EPRDF fighters defeated the Derg army in May 1991, the losing army was totallyrndemobilized. The new Transitional Government of Ethiopia established a Commission, whichrnfacilitated the return of the ex-soldiers into civilian life. Among the estimated 500,000rndemobilized soldiers about 156,710 preferred to settle in the urban areas of the country of whichrn42,914 returned to Addis Ababa.rnTo receive reintegration supports, some members of the demobilized soldiers were organized inrncooperatives and in Addis Ababa about 1,755 ex-soldiers were engaged in different cooperatives.rnThis thesis attempts to investigate the socio-economic reintegration of the ex-soldiers organizedrnin two cooperatives. The study is largely based on detailed life histories of the ex-soldiersrncovering pre-military life through to the present situation.rnThe ex-soldiers, 13 males and 9 females, have different reasons for their recruitment. Some ofrnthe reasons why they joined the army were to defend a country, as a job opportunity, for careerrndevelopment, initiated by army family members, etc. Once they joined the army they werernengaged in combat, political work, office duties and technical activities. Females were howeverrnconfined to only secretarial duties.rnDespite the government’s claim of economic, political and security reasons for demobilization,rnall of my respondents categorically objected to it. Some considered it as revenge by theirrnprevious war enemies, others as uprooting from normal life, and interruption in careerrndevelopment. One can easily accept their arguments given that demobilization of a regular armyrnmay mean displacing them from normal ways of life unlike the guerilla fighter where the realityrnwould be the reverse.rnThe ex-soldiers were assisted to start a productive and civilian life to achieve economic andrnsocial reintegration. Economic reintegration would mean the engagement of the demobilizedrnsoldiers in gainful productive activities and secure economic independence. They could achievernsocial reintegration through social cohesion and their acceptance by the receiving communities.rnMale ex-soldiers seem to achieve both economic and social reintegration. They are engaged inrnfull time productive activities and earn more than double what they had been getting in the army.rnOn the contrary female ex-soldiers have failed, especially economically, to achieve reintegration.rnThe major reasons for the variation in their integration are identified as follows.rnFirst, males had the opportunities to develop technical and management capabilities in the army.rnBut females were confined to secretarial works. Second, the skills and management capabilitiesrngained in the army were transferred to civilian activities in the case of males. They were engagedrnin wood and metal works, the activities they know very well. Those with management capacitiesrnwho were commanders and political leaders in the army have taken the responsibility ofrnmanaging the business. But females’ secretarial skills were disregarded and members werernordered to organize themselves in food processing, a traditional women’ duties. Third, in therncase of males the project study was carried out properly in a way it could end in success. Anrnopen 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. Theyrnwere given container shops at the edges of the main streets, two of which were removed afterrnseven-years, leading to their eventual displacement. At the moment the females are left with nornactual productivity and income.rnWhen government help fails the community steps in supporting the ex-soldiers. Female exsoldiersrncontinued to secure support from their relatives, friends and the community. Hence, inrntheir current economic situations they depend on the size of their social networks.rnThe economic support gained from the community indicates that they are relatively sociallyrnintegrated. This in return is more influenced by the area they settled in. They have returned to arncity where most were living before. And more importantly the multiethnic nature of therncommunity helped them not to be expected to conform to certain ways of living. There is littlernreligious, language or other cultural barriers, which might hinder integration. Hence, the exsoldiersrnare almost invisible as soldiers. But it is difficult to generalize because there are stillrnsome who are trying their best to achieve full social integration. Among others, longer militaryrnlife (males) and unemployment (females) still remain as barriers.rnIn general, it seems appropriate to conclude that both male and female ex-soldiers have beenrnrelatively socially integrated and the males have also developed self-reliance economically.rnFemales failed because of accumulated problems, beginning from neglect in the capacitybuildingrnin the army, disregard of their skills in transformation into civilians, and, morernimportantly, placing them in poorly designed reintegration projects and negligence to correct thernproblems. 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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