Demobilization and Insecurity: A Study in the Economics of the Transition From War to Peace

Cross-section econometrics is used to investigate the effect of demobilization on crime in Uganda. The results show that in the short term demobilization significantly increased crime if soldiers lacked access to land, but significantly reduced it if they had access. Neither of these effects persisted. The paper also discusses the effect of demobilization on the security of the state.