To help break the cycle that produces violent extremism and terrorism, one key area of intervention is through supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of former violent extremist fighters so we can lessen their chances of receding back to their activities. Our contributions don’t have to only be grand countering violent extremism projects, but can also be small acts that give returnees/ former violent extremists hope for a better life.
Before embarking on this journey, it is important to understand why people leave violent extremist groups. The factors are usually diverse and unique to the individual just like the drivers that influence people to join such groups in the first place. It is also important to recall that sometimes people join violent extremist and terror groups voluntarily, attracted by the group ideologies as well as social, economic, political, or religious promises.
In other instances, individuals are forcefully abducted from their communities through terrorist raids and enrolled into the violent extremist groups. As for the case of children exploited by violent extremist groups, they are either born in the violent extremist camps or enrolled into violent extremist groups by adults in their lives without their own choosing.
With this background, we shall now explore some of the reasons why people leave violent extremist groups. These can be divided into push and pull factors. Pull factors refer to factors attracting the person to a more rewarding alternative outside the violent extremist group, while push factors refer to negative forces and circumstances that make it unattractive or unpleasant to remain within the violent extremist groups.
The pull factors that led the returnees that engaged in this initiative to ultimately leave were the availability of an exit through a government amnesty opportunity that they had heard on radio while still in the bush, and the search for a more peaceful life outside of the chaos of violent extremism.
Those that were leaders during their time in the bush pointed out having left when they were stripped of their status, and also as a result of mistrust that developed with other leaders. On their return home, the returnees present with a multitude of challenges ranging from trauma and PTSD, physical wounds, homelessness as many sell their homes and properties before leaving for VE activities, chronic sicknesses, lack of employable skills usually due to low levels of literacy, extreme poverty, inability to trace family members for those who joined as children, separation of family members that are sometimes left in the camps, fear of retaliation from the former group for exiting, as well as discrimination and stigmatization.
If we can help address some of these challenges, we could contribute to making returnees more resilient and lessen their chances of receding. When returnees stay and rebuild their lives at home, then we reduce the risk of more people attacking the country and harming our people. To learn more about how to support individual returnees, returnee families, or larger returnee communities, you can reach out to the following agencies and organizations.
This website is part of the Bridges to Peace project led by theUganda Muslim Youth Development Forum (UMYDF) andKofi Annan Foundation and funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the UMYDF and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
DISCLAIMER !
Viewer discretion is advised. The true stories captured on this website and associated videos are not intended for children or young adults.
The videos available on this website contain content that may be distressing for some viewers, including images and narratives related to the experiences of victims. They aim to foster understanding, but they may not be suitable for everyone due to their potentially disturbing nature. If you find the content challenging, we encourage you to prioritize your emotional well-being.