Analysis of Security Sector Reform in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone: A Comparison of Current versus Historical Capabilities

Security Sector Reform (SSR) is a holistic approach to nation building that focuses on building strong police, military, and justice systems that adhere to the rule of law and have a firm commitment to operating under democratically elected civilian governance. The first SSR program was implemented by the United Kingdom (UK) in Sierra Leone, in support of a broader UN peacekeeping mission, in the aftermath of a decade long civil war in which the entire security sector was destroyed. The UK initially became involved in SSR in Sierra Leone following the 1996 elections, with a specific focus on police reform. However, the kidnapping of UN peacekeepers and the rebel threat to Freetown in 2000 resulted in the UK entering Sierra Leone with a large force. Following this intervention, the UK drastically increased its goals for SSR in Sierra Leone and began an intensive training program for the Sierra Leone military, along with institution building in the entire justice sector and Ministry of Defense (MOD). While UK and international involvement remains high in Sierra Leone, the security sector has operated independently since the removal of the last UN peacekeepers in late 2005. To assess the effectiveness of the SSR programs, this paper compares the current capabilities of the Sierra Leone security sector with those it had in the 1970s, before the country began its slide into civil war. Overall, the thesis finds that the current state of Sierra Leone's security sector is comparable to that of the 1970s, with some exceptions. While the military has added the capability to participate in UN peacekeeping missions, overall the gains remain tentative and a lack of capacity is hampering the effectiveness of the police and justice sector, threatening the gains that have been made. These findings suggest that SSR, as conducted in Sierra Leone, has not been as successful as envisioned, and the results have been comparable to those of more traditional programs.
The original document contains color images.