South Sudan, the world’s youngest state, is facing enormous challenges following its official foundation on 9 July 2011. The military and security sector currently accounts for more than half of the state’s expenditure, leaving little money for development projects. The South Sudanese government has recognized this problem and has declared the long-term reduction of the defense budget one of its major development goals. The program for the disarmament, demobilization and socioeconomic reintegration (DDR) of former combatants plays a significant role in this context. It is being supervised by the South Sudanese DDR Commission. The KfW Bankengruppe is sponsoring a long-term BICC expert advisor to provide the Commission with technical support and assistance with capacity-building.