What are the security issues in Southern Sudan? What reforms can promote a more community-friendly approach to policing in the region? This study examines the policy implications of community perceptions of policing in Southern Sudan. Significant security challenges still remain in Southern Sudan. Despite this, the rule of law sector and the police have been neglected in Southern Sudan’s Security Sector Reform (SSR). Four years after its establishment, the Southern Sudan Police Service (SSPS) has yet to be the primary agency ensuring civilian security. Reform must involve legislation, organisational structure and infrastructure investment if the SSPS is to respond effectively to threats identified by the Southern Sudanese.
The overall security situation has improved since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 between the Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). However, security challenges in the South persist, and include the proliferation of illegal arms, cattle rustling, the presence of Lord’s Resistance Army rebels from Uganda, and inter-tribal conflict over resources and land. Against this background, the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) launched a Security Sector Reform (SSR) programme. It focused on the SPLA and Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), neglecting the rule of law sector and the police. Challenges in policing include the following:
- SSPS presence in rural areas is limited or absent. SPLA soldiers who are poorly disciplined and not trained in civilian law enforcement have taken over policing in these areas.
- Many people see the SPLA and SSPS as perpetrators of crime and human rights abuses. Most Southern Sudanese regard the traditional authorities (Boma) as the providers of security.
- Proliferation of illegal arms combined with lack of training and equipment for the SSPS mean that police are often unable to disarm civilians. This leads the SPLA to step in, with conflict between the police and SPLA.
- Legal frameworks and jurisdictions in Southern Sudan are unclear or absent, making it difficult for police to know how, where, and when to do their job.
- Over 90 per cent of the police are illiterate, most officers are approaching retirement age, and no effort has been made to include women despite their contribution to the liberation war effort.
There are high hopes of the SSPS in delivering security at the community level. But the SSPS is understaffed, undertrained, and ill-equipped, making these hopes difficult to fulfil. Multilateral and bilateral donor investment in organisational and infrastructure development has been lacking, especially for the police. It is important to:
- Pass the draft Police Bill immediately, and clarify and define the roles of other security institutions
- Coordinate police reform with wider reforms and DDR, and include the police in both security sector budgeting and rule of law sector working groups
- Increase the police budget, with priority on training, equipment and infrastructure development
- Deploy more police officers in rural areas and develop an effective coordination mechanism with the Boma to take advantage of their key community roles, legitimacy, and local knowledge
- Support the SSPS strategic plan, especially relating to registration and vetting, and improve coordination between different programmes.
