Global Policy Forum

By Lara Pawson

A lack of financial incentive cannot be the reason that Ivory Coast's disarmament programme has so far failed to kick off in any meaningful way. An estimated $27m will be spent on enticing 30,000 ex-combatants to participate in the mouthful of a process - the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reinsertion programme - or DDR.

"Each combatant will receive $900 to help them reintegrate," explains Alain Donwahi, president of the National Commission for DDR and security advisor to the prime minister. "They hand in their weapons five days before receiving the money, which is given to them in three stages." On the first occasion, each former fighter will receive 25% of the total. Forty five days later they will receive another 25%. Finally, the third lump sum of $450 will be paid out five months after that.

Border Crossing

Mr Donwahi insists that the weapons are not being bought back. Nevertheless, the amount of money being paid to each combatant will cause alarm in some circles. For example, next door in Liberia. Former Liberian fighters are paid $300 to hand over their weapons and rejoin civilian life. Presumably, some will be tempted to cross the notoriously porous border into Ivory Coast in order to triple the value of their Kalashnikovs.

"No, this will not happen," insists Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Alzawahreh, advisor on disarmament for the United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast (MINUCI). "We have many procedures to stop that. For example, we have a list of every fighter from both sides in this country: the names, the ranks, everything. So, we will take the weapons off anybody whose name is not on that list but we will not give him any money."

Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim says Liberians could not cross the border into Ivory Coast even if they wanted to: "There is an army at the border so people cannot cross it." Nevertheless, it still begs the question: why pay the Ivorians three times more than their Liberian brothers? "This amount has been calculated by the Ivorian ministry of finance according to the cost of living," explains Mr Donwahi. "The cost of living in Ivory Coast is higher than Liberia - $300 in Liberia is like giving someone $2,500 here."

Political Impasse

However, the troops on the ground are - according to many observers here - not the sticking point. The political leaders are the ones who need persuading. "The two armies from either side have done everything that needs to be done," says Mr Donwahi. "Militarily we have solved lots of problems. The problems remaining are political."

Disarmament was supposed to begin on Monday 8 March, but a few days earlier the New Forces (FN) - as the so-called former rebels are now known - stated that they did not want to disarm until free and fair elections had taken place in 2005. "The 8 March was not a consensus date," says Konate Sidiki, FN spokesman. "It was just a suggestion by the prime minister which we all knew was not possible. There are several other stages that need to happen first." The crux of the problem revolves around nationality: who is an Ivorian and who is not. Following on from that is the question of land ownership - who can rightfully own land, specifically the cocoa and coffee plantations - and who can stand as president.

The FN want these laws reformed before they will disarm. "The New Forces say that the problem of Ivory Coast is not a problem of the army, nor is it a problem of the weapon," says Mr Sidiki. "In order to have peace we have to solve the political problem because those are the problems which brought us to war."

Lack of Conviction

Other opposition movements do not necessarily agree. Alphonse Djedje Mady is secretary general of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI). Although his party is currently enjoying an unofficial alliance with the FN, largely due to their shared opposition against President Gbagbo, Professor Djedje Mady is adamant that disarmament must take place before elections. "One cannot say one wants reconciliation and peace but refuse to disarm. You cannot have peace with a rifle resting in your hand. Peace with fear is not peace," he says. "The New Forces know that disarmament is a condition of the peace accords sine qua non in order that the authority of the state can be re-established throughout the country."

Professor Djedje Mady nevertheless believes that the primary responsibility lies with the Ivorian president himself. "He is the head of the republic. He has the means to do this. He is the head of state, the guarantor of national unity. He has the possibilities that he knows about - not me - to bring back peace to Cote D'Ivoire." But that appears to be a lot easier said than done. One seasoned political observer in Abidjan told the BBC, on condition of anonymity, why disarmament is proving so elusive. "The trouble is that the politicians here don't really want peace. They want power before peace." And perhaps that is something money cannot buy.