The Challenges and Opportunities of Security Sector Reform in Post ...

THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
OF SECURITY SECTOR REFORM IN POST-CONFLICT LIBERIA
Adedeji Ebo
1. Introduction
Following 14 years of civil war in Liberia, the successful signing of a Comprehensive
Peace Agreement (CPA) (See Annex 1) in Accra in August 2003 has resulted in one of
the most challenging contexts for post-conflict reconstruction since the end of the Cold
War. This paper examines the challenges posed by the post-conflict reconstruction
process in Liberia, with particular emphasis on the security sector. 2 It is posited that there
is a direct correlation between the reconstruction of the security sector on the one hand,
and the prospects for peacebuilding and stability on the other. The paper provides an
overview of Liberia’s post-conflict reconstruction process, particularly of the security
sector, and notes the lack of a coherent comprehensive framework for the reconstruction
of the security sector during Liberia’s transition period. The paper therefore seeks to
contribute to the articulation of a more comprehensive and coherent national
reconstruction agenda in Liberia following the October/November 2005 elections.
This paper argues that opportunities for security sector reform are conditioned by the
mutually reinforcing relationship between the state of security on the one hand, and the
security of the state on the other. The state of security is the extent to which there is a general
condition of well-being – the extent to which society feels safe. It therefore extends
beyond military security, national security, regime security, and even individual security.
The state of security encompasses all these forms and sources of security and insecurity.
The state of security is a measure of the extent to which society is at peace with itself,
and with its neighbours, in which members of the society, singularly and collectively, feel
free from fear. The prospects for stability and peacebuilding are enhanced by the extent
to which SSR is predicated on the state of security broadly defined, as opposed to the
narrower focus on the security of the state.
The state of security encompasses a broad human security agenda. The security of the
state is a component of the state of security. In other words, the extent to which the state
is secure is a function of the security of the entire society. The security of the state is, per
se, not an undesirable policy goal. After all, a secure state is essential for the provision
and delivery of essential services such as health, education, and other common goods. As
we have been amply reminded, it is usually weak, insecure states that are the most
2 The security sector includes the armed forces, the police, the gendarmerie, intelligence services, and judicial
and penal institutions. It also comprises the elected and duly appointed civil authorities responsible for control
and oversight (e.g., parliament, the executive and the defence ministry). However, particularly in post-conflict
contexts, the security sector also encompasses non-state security organisations such as guerrilla armies,
liberations armies, traditional militias, and private security companies. Also included are non-statutory civil
society bodies such as the media, trade unions, NGOs and advocacy groups.
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