Tuesday 23 October 2012

My report on the ISSAT/DCAF resource library website

My report is now also to be found on the ISSAT/DCAF resource library website. I am very happy about this as the study may reach a broader audience.

I did an internship at DCAF in 2010. DCAF is an international foundation established in 2000 on the initiative of the Swiss Confederation, as the 'Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces'. DCAF contributes to enhancing security sector governance (SSG) through security sector reform (SSR). The Centre works to support effective, efficient security sectors which are accountable to the state and its citizens. DCAF's work is underpinned by the acknowledgement that security, development and the rule of law are essential preconditions for sustainable peace.
DCAF’s International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT) provides practical support to the international community in its efforts to improve security and justice, primarily in conflict-affected and fragile states. It does this by working with a group of member states and institutions to develop and promote good security and justice reform practices and principles, and by helping its members to build their capacity to support national and regional security and justice reform processes.

For those who want to know more about SSR, DCAF provides a number of backgrounders on different subjects connected to reforms of the security and justice sector. There are also a number of other publications available for free on their website. 

Also, ISSAT provides an introductory course on SSR in co-operation with UNITAR. It is an online course free of charge. 

Saturday 20 October 2012

Willing and Able? Challenges to Security Sector Reform in Weak Post-war States - Insights from the Central African Republic.

My report is finally printed and can be found here.. I provide you with the summary below.

Security sector reform (SSR) is an integral part of the international community’s efforts to build peace and enhance security in weak post-war states. It has, however, proven difficult to undertake SSR in such contexts. A number of factors constitute a challenge to create security forces that are able to provide
security to the population.

Based on previous research, this report highlights some of the challenges to SSR in weak post-war states. Through an analysis of the SSR process in the Central African Republic, this study shows that informal power structures, a volatile security situation and failure to understand how SSR is influenced by other political processes, negatively impact on the prospect for successful implementation of reforms. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that weak capacity and lack of political will on behalf of the national government, is a challenge to local ownership and sustainable reforms. Despite a holistic approach to reforms aiming to improve both the capacity of the security forces and to increase democratic control of the security institutions, insufficient international engagement, scarce resources, lack of strategic direction and inadequate donor coordination have limited the prospect for implementation of reforms.

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Raiding Sovereignty in Central African Borderlands by Louisa Nicolaysen Lombard

This dissertation just came out so I haven't had time to read it properly but, given the author’s experience and field work in the CAR and elsewhere I am convinced that it can't be any less that brilliant. Please have a look at Raiding Sovereignty in Central African Borderlands

To be back but somewhere else


Well, to be honest I do think that, given the limitations and restrictions, my thesis is quite boring and does not really give any added value. However, very soon a report is to be published. I had the opportunity to use the findings from my field research in this report, which feels good. As it will be available for free I will put the link here in due time. As for now, I'll just post a short summary of the report (quoting the summary in the report) and as soon as it is on the website I’ll let you know. So here it goes:

“Security sector reform (SSR) is an integral part of the international community’s efforts to build peace and enhance security in weak post-war states. It has, however, proven difficult to undertake SSR in such contexts. A number of factors constitute a challenge to create security forces that are able to provide security to the population.  

Based on previous research, this report highlights some of the challenges to SSR in weak post-war states. Through an analysis of the SSR process in the Central African Republic, this study shows that informal power structures, a volatile security situation and failure to understand how SSR is influenced by other political processes, negatively impact on the prospect for successful implementation of reforms. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that weak capacity and lack of political will on behalf of the national government, is a challenge to local ownership and sustainable reforms. Despite a holistic approach to reforms aiming to improve both the capacity of the security forces and to increase democratic control of the security institutions, insufficient international engagement, scarce resources, lack of strategic direction and inadequate donor coordination have limited the prospect for implementation of reforms.”

Well, not very surprising or new but I assure you that some of the details in the actual report are quite interesting. Read it!

As for me, we’ll see. Currently I am in Brussels and only time will tell where I go next. Insh’allah and I post again soon.