Demobilization is the process and consequence of demobilizing : giving leave to mobilized troops or individuals. The idea of mobilization, in this context, refers to calling up or preparing military units for combat.
Demobilization involves the abandonment of military activity following discharge . This action is massive and widespread at the end of a war, although it can be carried out in different ways and have different scopes.
Suppose a country gathers all its soldiers and calls up its reservists in the event of a war breaking out with a neighbouring nation. Months later, peace is signed between the two states and the battles end. This results in the demobilisation of the troops: the combatants are given leave and are no longer enlisted for armed conflict.
The idea of demobilization is also used in relation to the reintegration into civilian life of members of a guerrilla or insurgent group . This type of demobilization is usually achieved when a peace agreement is signed and the guerrilla or rebel leaders agree to abandon violence.
In Colombia , for example, demobilization has been taking place in different stages since the 1990s to end the internal conflict. Demobilization is intended to get guerrillas and paramilitaries to hand over their weapons and return to acting as civilians, acting according to the law .
To promote demobilization and facilitate the reintegration of ex-combatants, Colombia has the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization . This entity aims to assist in the social reintegration of demobilized persons.
This agency is part of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia , the highest authority of the Colombian State, which is in charge of the Armed Forces. Broadly speaking, we can say that its objectives and tasks include coordination, advice and the execution of reintegration. This is carried out in conjunction with other entities, both from the private and public spheres, and focuses on those individuals who have been demobilized from armed groups that have been formed and administered illegally.
One of the most significant examples of demobilization in Colombia in recent history took place in 2006, when the target was the terrorist organization known as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia , or AUC . It was founded in 1997, and its activities included drug trafficking, as well as the use of weapons in different conflicts.
Two other guerrilla organizations whose demobilization marked a turning point were the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army and the National Liberation Army , whose acronyms are FARC-EP and ELN , respectively. Amid this massive phenomenon and the goal of making reintegration sustainable in the long term, the Presidential High Council for Reintegration was founded in 2006, which five years later changed its name to the Colombian Agency for Reintegration .
One of the concepts related to demobilization is the General Amnesty Law , a bill presented by the Colombian government to grant amnesty to illegal combatants. The beneficiaries of this law are participants in self-defense groups as well as guerrillas who have received a sentence for their involvement in an armed conflict.
The main objective was to reintegrate these people so that they could contribute effectively to the search for peace in the nation . After the trial, it is possible to establish a trial lasting a maximum of five years before the accused regains his freedom.