Social reintegration of former al-Shabaab militants

How formal channels help mitigate threat perceptions

Bibliographic Data

ID10151149
AuthorsLinnéa Gelot (0000-0001-7634-8394, Department of War Studies, Swedish Defense University, Sweden), Prabin Khadka (0000-0002-1921-5242, University of Essex, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume62
Issue6
Pages1820-1838
Publication date2025-03-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Peace Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3433 • E-ISSN: 1460-3578
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00223433241303285
OpenAlexW4408418796
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited44

What drives host community preferences towards the reintegration of former Islamist militants? While recognizing the importance of host communities in the reintegration process, empirical evidence on the factors influencing community support for reintegrating former Islamist militants remains limited. We hypothesized that community preferences are shaped along the perceived threat level influenced by three factors: organizational profile, identity traits, and reintegration channels. We empirically examined these using a conjoint survey involving Somali civilians from three cities with disarmament, demobilization and reintegration centers and a separate survey of former al-Shabaab disarmament, demobilization and reintegration graduates. Our results showed that security-related attributes, such as involvement in killings, recruitment history and unit association wielded a substantial influence on threat perceptions. Heightened threat perceptions played a key role in shaping wartime preferences, explaining how host communities categorize security threats. Notably, our results underscored a community preference for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program graduates and for those granted government amnesty over ex-fighters reintegrated through traditional channels, highlighting the efficacy of formal reintegration channels in managing community threat perceptions compared to informal pathways

Computer security · Criminology · Internet privacy · Perception · Political science · Computer Science · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Political Conflict and Governance · Psychology · Social Psychology · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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