This chapter examines Togo's security sector and finds a highly militarised country with one of the most dysfunctional security sectors in West Africa. With constraints on the judiciary and parliament and a constitution that is not applied, there is almost no civilian control of security in Togo, and civil society is not well developed. The security forces represent the ...» more
Library
This e-library contains more than 4500 external publications on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues. It includes academic and grey literature selected for its basis in good quality research and coverage of a range of perspectives. Policy-oriented summaries of each document are provided, plus links to the full text.
Challenges of Security Sector Governance in West Africa: Mali
This chapter examines the attempts of Mali's security sector to respond to citizens' needs and increase transparency and participation. It suggests that the reforms are costly for such an indebted government. Furthermore, the population and security agents are reluctant to adopt reforms due to administrative inertia and low confidence in administrative changes. However, once ...» more
Challenges of Security Sector Governance in West Africa: Cape Verde
To what extent does Cape Verde's security sector require reform? This chapter assesses reform efforts in the country to date. It argues that despite political stability and good economic performance, there are reasons to fear an upsurge of violence, banditry and organised crime. The country's island status has been both protective and a source of vulnerability. While its ...» more
Challenges of Security Sector Governance in West Africa: Benin
What are the challenges of security sector governance in Benin? This chapter examines Benin’s security sector, finding it poorly organised and resourced, with unsatisfactory democratic oversight and slow reforms. To be meaningful, SSR must take place within a broader framework of good governance. This requires a greater focus on democratic oversight and accountability by the ...» more
Who is Policing Sierra Leone?
What policing agencies are available in Sierra Leone, and how do citizens perceive them? This study, based on field research in 2005, notes that while SSR in Sierra Leone has focused on state agencies, many other policing agencies offer citizens protection and crime investigation. It is largely these alternative agencies that provide policing services, particularly to society's ...» more
The Politics of Protection: Perspectives on Vigilantism in Nigeria
This article introduces a journal issue examining: 1) how contemporary vigilantism in Nigeria has been at the forefront of contests over state authority; and 2) the social and cultural interpretation of vigilantism. It argues that contemporary Nigerian vigilantism involves a range of local and global dynamics beyond informal justice. Nigerian vigilante organisations do not ...» more
‘Getting in, Getting out’: Militia Membership and Prospects for Re-integration in Post-war Liberia
What led people in Liberia to join militias and become in involved conflict during the country's terrible civil war? How can an understanding of the factors that got people 'into' violence help policymakers design more effective disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration and rehabilitation (DDRR) programmes to get them 'out'? This study, conducted with 491 ex-combatants using ...» more
Feudal Forces: Reform Delayed – Sri Lanka
The effort to implement better policing in Sri Lanka has stalled, and international pressure on the government has produced only the appearance of respect for human rights. This chapter finds that police reform will not work while the civil war is ongoing or while politicians are unwilling to end their patronage of the police. In order to begin to democratise the police, the ...» more
Feudal Forces: Reform Delayed – Pakistan
This chapter finds that despite Pakistan's progressive Police Order of 2002, effective implementation of police reform has been blocked by a culture of political interference in police matters and by opposition from vested interests among the bureaucracy, by elements of the policing community and by alienated provincial governments. A failure to appreciate the impact that ...» more
Feudal Forces: Reform Delayed – India
How successful have attempts at reforming India's police been? What needs to be done to transform India's police from a controlling force to a people-centred service? This chapter examines the current state and pace of police reform in India. The control-oriented, colonial-era 1861 Police Act continues to govern policing in India, and police abuses are rife. The national and ...» more
Feudal Forces: Reform Delayed – Bangladesh
How can democratic policing be developed in Bangladesh? This chapter reviews policing and police reform, highlighting the challenges of corruption, misconduct and politicisation. Despite promising initiatives by the Police Reform Programme, achieving reform implementation and embedding respect for human rights in police culture remain challenging. Reforms will only succeed in ...» more
Public/Private, Global/Local: The Changing Contours of Africa’s Security Governance
How are distinctions between public and private and between global and local security governance in Africa being redrawn? This article surveys the breadth of private security activity on the continent, and the political and economic factors driving its growth. It argues that analysis of private security in Africa must be situated within the significant power shifts taking place ...» more
Beyond the Tarmac Road: Local Forms of Policing in Sierra Leone and Rwanda
How are local forms of policing shaped in post-conflict African states? What are the risks and the potential of state and donor support for these informal groups? This article analyses local forms of policing in Rwanda and Sierra Leone. It argues that country-specific patterns of local policing vary enormously, and depend on three factors: (1) the nature of the conflict and ...» more
Reforms in the Judiciary: An Overview
What can be done to successfully reform the judiciary? What key issues must be considered? What improvements have already been brought about as a result of the enactment of laws? This Halsbury's Law article provides an overview of reforms in the judiciary in India. It argues that unless the citizens of India are educated, the objective of the Constitution to provide legal ...» more
Challenges of Security Sector Governance in West Africa
West Africa presents a unique combination of some of the poorest states on the continent, with the widespread security challenges of recurring violent conflict and long-standing authoritarian regimes. Is it possible to assess the state of the security sector across the region? What are the obstacles to security sector reform (SSR)? This book, published by the Geneva Centre for ...» more
Modeling the Integration of the Maoist Combatants: DDR or SSR?
For countries emerging from conflict, integration of ex-belligerents into society and security forces is a challenging task for the nation, neighbours, civil society and ex-combatants themselves. This paper from the Conflict Study Center discusses Nepal’s Maoist integration issue within the context of Disarmament Demobilisation Reintegration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform ...» more
Relations Among Security and Law Enforcement Institutions in Indonesia
How true are negative perceptions of relations among security and law enforcement institutions in Indonesia? This Contemporary Southeast Asia article outlines relations between the three primary law enforcement and security actors in three district case studies in Yogyakarta. It finds that coordination and an effective division of labour does exist among government security ...» more
Localization as Resistance: The Contested Diffusion of Small Arms Norms in Southeast Asia
What explains the patchy response of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) towards the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons? This Security Dialogue article examines theories and argues that explanations that assign importance to the pre-existing normative environment and the role of local agents are most convincing. ASEAN officials localised small arms as ...» more
Pakistan’s Institutions and Civil Society
Who are the key players in Pakistan’s power dynamics? What role is given to the judicial system and civil society? This report by Jayshree Bajoria offers a brief outline of the political power dynamics in Pakistan, including the traditional role of the military and intelligence agency. It follows by providing a detailed explanation as to other key players which have emerged as ...» more
Civil Society and Security Sector Reform in Indonesia: 1998-2006
Despite eight years of security sector reform (SSR) advocacy in Indonesia, basic democracy policy objectives and professional, accountable military and police services have yet to be achieved. This paper, published by the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, examines civil society organisations’ (CSO) efforts to promote SSR in Indonesia from ...» more
