AEGIS ECAS 2007 - View abstract

Panel	11. Alternative policing - new initiatives or established patterns of self-help?
Paper ID	249
Author(s)	Smith-Hoehn, Judy
Paper	View paper (PDF)
Abstract	Sierra Leone and Liberia both recently emerged from over a decade of civil war, which left their security infrastructure and policing mechanisms in shambles. Generally, efforts to reform and reconstruct the security sector have centred on re-establishing the state’s monopoly on the use of force, ignoring the potential of non-state policing structures to play a key role in this regard. This corresponds with the academic focus on strategies undertaken by external or state actors in ensuring the survival of the local population, whilst giving little attention to the efforts made by locals themselves to survive amidst hostile situations. Moreover, one key criterion for determining the efficacy – and, hence, incorporation into reform efforts – of policing structures tends to be ignored, namely whether those the security provision is intended for actually feel protected. This is the starting point for my paper, which attempts to fill this gap by presenting empirical evidence from Liberia and Sierra Leone of local perceptions of the policing structures citizens rely upon for security, including not only external and state, but also local, non-state actors. The case studies focus on four key questions: 1) Which actors (e.g. traditional authorities, remnants of state security, private entrepreneurs, international peacekeeping missions) provide security in these societies? 2) What modes of interaction exist between various security actors, i.e. are the relationships cooperative or hostile? 3) Under which conditions are these actors considered legitimate by different groups within society? 4) How has the security situation changed compared to before the end of the civil war? Qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data gathering, the results of which could be presented during the panel: 1) survey poll, carried out in three urban areas in both countries, 2) eight in-depth focus group discussions and 3) sixty focussed, semi-structured interviews, conducted with elites and experts (local and international); the expert interviews provide the more ‘objective’ perception of the respective security arena. Where available, non-conventional literature and other documents (e.g. internal reports, factsheets, crime statistics) were gathered to substantiate the ‘objective’ performance of security actors. The two case studies permit a comparison on various levels, particularly since Sierra Leone’s post-conflict period is ‘older’ than that of Liberia. The influence of an external peacekeeping force, for example, can be examined, for these have withdrawn from Sierra Leone but are still a key player in Liberia. Though it may be too early to evaluate the security sector reform (SSR) strategies undertaken thus far, the results obtained from the case studies highlight issues – and actors – that should be included in such strategies to improve their likelihood for success. The paper will reveal that non-state policing mechanisms play a significant role in security provision, particularly on the local, community level. Considering the state of the national security apparatus in both countries, alternative policing structures will remain crucial for some time to come, as will external support of reconstruction efforts. Hence, the suitability of state-centred approaches to SSR – driven by external support – is certainly questionable.

Multi-Level Security Provision in Post-Conflict Societies: Local Perspectives from Liberia and Sierra Leone