Those who keep their equipment might fare worse: many of the 50 demobilised soldiers in Mr Pieng's district plan to set up tailoring or taxi businesses as soon as their sewing machines or motorbikes arrive.

ECONOMIST: Turning swords into ploughshares is proving tricky

She lifted the foot of the sewing machine and pulled the material out, snipped the threads with a pair of scissors, and set to ripping out what she had done.

NEWYORKER: The Visitor