Sierra Leone exemplifies the important role that an elected, legitimate national government can play in successful peacebuilding and reform efforts. This paper, published by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, reports the results of a seminar on the country’s post-conflict and peacebuilding activities. While the national government’s legitimacy and reform strategies are significant post-conflict achievements, it must now implement significant general and security sector reforms.
The Kabbah government, elected in 1996 in free and fair elections, was recognised as legitimate by all parties to the conflict that devastated Sierra Leone in the early 1990s. It extended its authority throughout the country and created a cooperative relationship with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. It also instituted legislative reform and created strategies to tackle political, social and economic problems.
However, governmental legitimacy and strategies do not automatically solve problems. This report of seminar presentations and discussions indicates that Sierra Leone still needs to overcome significant obstacles to reform.
Sierra Leone’s security sector now formally recognises constitutional provisions for rule of law. However, its implementation of the operational requirements of rule of law needs strengthening. The security sector suffers from lack of funding and capacity; a politicised, non-accountable, unprofessional mentality still prevails.
Other achievements and challenges are:
- Good governance mechanisms, such as a civil service code to improve recruitment, operational procedures and professionalism, have been introduced. But pervasive corruption is a significant obstacle to reform.
- While national authorities recognise the importance of economic development, there has been little progress in management and oversight of mining industries and development of the agricultural sector.
- While the government has created a Poverty Reduction Strategy, it has yet to be implemented.
- Efforts are underway to bring the national legal code up to international standards. However, the country’s laws have yet to be comprehensively codified. All levels of the justice system lack capacity, funding and accountability. Many judges are poorly educated and trained.
- The national government has devolved many governmental responsibilities to local governments. However, local authorities lack the capacity to perform these responsibilities effectively. Monitoring and oversight of their work has not been established.
National government and external actors should address the need for capacity building, funding, monitoring and oversight at all government levels, including the security sector. The following additional actions that directly impact upon the security sector should also take place:
- Implement the Poverty Reduction Strategy;
- Implement the public information strategy created by the Office of National Security;
- Reduce the gap between the significantly higher levels of funding of armed forces reform and police reform; and
- Improve the politicised mindset of security actors and increase their commitment to changing the way security is provided to citizens.
