Security Sector or Security Arena? The Evidence from Somalia.

Transforming security governance in areas of limited statehood such as Somalia is notoriously challenging yet international actors continue to try. The uneven record of interventions is partly explained by the resultant projects focusing on the perceived value of what is transmitted, rather than on the way in which it is received, and partly on a misunderstanding of the nature of the security sector to be reformed. The experience of Somalia's three regional police forces emphasizes that security actors operate in a dynamic arena, rather than an institutionalized sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]