Since the beginning of the colonial period, African security organisations have often created greater insecurity for both states and their populations than guaranteeing individual and collective security. This handbook, by the Centre for Democracy and Development, provides guidance on undertaking security sector reform in Africa consistent with democratic governance principles and a human security agenda. It argues that all actors should be engaged in reform processes and highlights the importance of transparency and accountability for democratic security sector governance. It also emphasises the need for democratic governance values to be accepted not simply in individual countries, but across regions.
The failure of African security organisations in the past has often stemmed from poor governance of the state and, in particular, the security sector. Democratic security sector governance implies not only that a state can manage security organisations effectively and efficiently, but also that it is legitimate, transparent, trusted and accountable to its citizens.
This handbook emphasises the concept of human security. In contrast to traditional definitions of security that focus on protecting the state and its citizens from external aggression, human security is concerned with economic development, guaranteeing basic human rights and protecting people from the fear of violence.
The handbook offers the following proposals to realise a security sector reform that is consistent with democratic governance and human security:
- All actors, both official and non-official, that affect the governance of the security sector need to be engaged if democratic governance of the security sector is to be achieved.
- The essence of transforming the security sector is the process of aligning the sector with core values, principles and practices of democratic governance. Four aspects of democratic governance that are particularly critical for the security sector are transparency, accountability, maintaining a legal basis, and oversight.
- The concept of policy is important because it provides guidelines for developing and implementing strategies, disciplines government behaviour, promotes accountability and encourages predictability in government actions.
- Sound fiscal management of the security sector is essential if a country is to have effective, efficient and professional security organisations. Integrated planning, policy-making, and budgeting systems are necessary in order to achieve appropriate allocation and management of public sector resources.
- Securing democratic governance values in any African state requires acceptance of these values sub-regionally and regionally. This is because states will share the same security needs, security challenges will occasionally cross borders, some security threats will require collective responses, and the actions and policies of external actors should be coordinated.
The main challenges facing governments, civil society and external actors in reforming Africa’s security sector are:
- the absence of democratic norms and practices;
- the unclear nature of the political context of reform;
- moving reform beyond the defence sector;
- the limited knowledge base available;
- finding acceptable limits to state secrecy while respecting the need for confidentiality in certain areas; and
- finding the appropriate balance between democratic accountability and control on the one hand, and security professionalism and discipline on the other.
