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What drives attitudes towards the reintegration of former fighters? Insights from a conjoint experiment in Nigeria

Author

Listed:
  • Amélie Godefroidt

    (Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Centre for Research on Peace and Development, University of Leuven)

  • Arnim Langer

    (Centre for Research on Peace and Development, University of Leuven)

Abstract

Reintegrating ex-combatants back into society is one of the most challenging, yet fundamental components to building sustainable peace. While previous work has extensively evaluated the reintegration trajectories of ex-combatants, there is still little understanding of how citizens think about reintegration. In this article, we systematically analyze which former fighters people prefer to reintegrate into society. Based on theories of threat and justice, we develop a heuristic framework that explains how information about the motivations and behavior of ex-combatants shapes public preferences about whom to reintegrate. We test this framework using a conjoint experiment conducted among approximately 2,000 (former) university students in Nigeria. We find that our respondents are more forgiving towards former fighters who were forced to join the insurgency and expressed remorse afterwards, while being less willing to reintegrate more militant and less repentant offenders. Similar informational cues shape respondents’ evaluations of how successful the reintegration process would be and what punishment would be appropriate. Taken together, the results underscore the importance of perceptions of risk and fairness in driving attitudes towards reintegration. Finally, subgroup analyses revealed that these heuristics are broadly held across different demographic and conflict-related fault lines. While caution is warranted when generalizing these results, insights gained in this specific context are nonetheless an important step towards advancing our understanding of reintegration processes in conflict-affected countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Amélie Godefroidt & Arnim Langer, 2023. "What drives attitudes towards the reintegration of former fighters? Insights from a conjoint experiment in Nigeria," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 60(3), pages 410-427, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:joupea:v:60:y:2023:i:3:p:410-427
    DOI: 10.1177/00223433221087070
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Linnéa Gelot & Prabin B Khadka, 2025. "Social reintegration of former al-Shabaab militants: How formal channels help mitigate threat perceptions," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 62(6), pages 1820-1838, November.
    2. Julia Palik, 2025. "Costly Concessions: Insights From 78 Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) Provisions in Peace Agreements," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 16(5), pages 921-933, November.

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