What is the effect of security sector reform (SSR) on democratic transitions in conflict-prone countries? This study from Bradford University examines the issue with the example of Sierra Leone. It argues that it is important to find ways of addressing shortcomings in SSR and to adopt approaches that engage civil society and increase civil protection, ameliorate tensions between the army and armed groups. SSR needs to be linked more effectively to justice, reconciliation and democratisation initiatives.
Sierra Leone emerged from a civil conflict in 2002 and is now entering the run-up to its second parliamentary and legislative elections in 2007. In this context, the security sector is a continuing risk to democratic reform and democratic transition, specifically given the security sector’s past record of politicisation, coups and abuse of civilians. Furthermore, incomplete SSR and increasing disaffection in opposition parties and civil society towards the government is creating a volatile environment. In such a situation, the security sector may once again emerge as a disruptive factor in politics, particularly when the international engagement in Sierra Leone winds down.
The situation in Sierra Leone reveals the following potential problems with SSR in democratic transitions:
- Sierra Leone rushed into elections in 2002, motivated by stabilisation considerations and a desire to forestall challenges to President Kabbah who was seen as a reformer. A power-sharing alternative might have been less divisive
- As elections engage parties in struggles for power, the security sector can become an important tool for achieving control and political dominance.
- A ‘state-centric’ model of SSR, which prioritises the security of the national government and its defensive capabilities, has prevailed over human security and civilianisation of the reform agenda.
- Poverty, trauma and other features of war economies not only create volatile currents in civil society but they also lead to predatory or corrupt practices in security sectors undergoing reform.
- Security forces can undermine democratic reforms internally, for example when their warfighting capacities are increased to address external threats but they still lack oversight.
- Sierra Leone shows that if the behaviour of policemen and soldiers was deplorable during the conflict, it was often because they were not paid and had to steal to survive. Creating similar dynamics in peace-time encourages a return to similar behaviour.
The experience of SSR in Sierra Leone suggests that international policy, assistance and the democratic transition literature need to consider carefully some key issues in terms of SSR. It is important to:
- plan carefully and think about the long-term consequences of the timing of elections;
- ensure that SSR is well integrated and coordinated with other related processes including demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration, democratisation, justice and reconciliation;
- acknowledge that elections in conflict-prone states exacerbate tensions and can re-ignite conflict rather than resolve underlying political divisions;
- engage civil society as partners in reform of the security sector;
- include in SSR non-military security considerations that have a human dimension such as poverty, trauma and other features of war economies; and
- establish incentive structures for the security sector. These include proper wages for security sector personnel.
