Security Sector Reform in Post-Conflict Reconstruction: An Analysis on Development Co-operation Oriented to Conflict Prevention and Peace-building since 1990s. 
The case of Cambodia and Bosnia & Herzegovina

Security Sector Reform (SSR) has since 1990s emerged in development cooperation as conflict prevention and peace-building orientation in the attempt to cope with new challenges in post-Cold War era that has been marked by the escalation of intra-state conflicts conducive to increasing cases of ‘complex humanitarian / political emergences and degradation of human development. Intra-state conflict or civil war appears as the consequence of governance erosion due to which ‘failed states’ are unable to normally function in providing basic services to their citizens, such as infrastructure supply, education, health care and most notably protection security. Civilians in those intra-state conflicts often turn to be the most vulnerable and subject to casualty, violence, displacement and disruption of normal life.

Reconstruction and development in post-conflict society emerging from intra-state conflict too often encounter ‘fragile peace’ in which relapse into new conflict is at high risk because of political system break-down, destructive struggle for power and positions among competing groups and vacuum of legitimate and effective law enforcement. Contemporary post-conflict reconstruction needs justice institutions and security forces to uphold the rule of law which, on one hand, prohibits cycles of violence, conflict and criminality and on another hand, lays ground for trust and confidence, restoration of livelihood and production investment and promotion of inclusive mode of development. That argument entails to the growing recognition that the (re)establishment of functional security forces is a legitimate development issue in the effort to create enabling environment for investment and development.

The research project will look at the theoretical evolution in development discourse since 1990s, remarkably emphasising the linkages between development and security, human security and human development, conflict prevention and peace-building. Then, it will examine the practical facets of such theoretical evolution through the policy translated in donors’ development agendas: What is SSR? Why SSR now? What are the implications of SSR in donor’s development agenda? How post-conflict societies adopt SSR agenda? In addition, the future perspectives with both potentialities and constraints in implementing SSR will be explored and analysed through the case studies: Cambodia and Bosnia& Herzegovina (BiH). The selection of those two case studies is based on the criteria: post-conflict reconstruction, divided and dysfunctional security forces, and SSR undertaken as integral part in Peace Agreement Implementation with heavy assistance by third parties (hereby referring to the international community including multilateral and bilateral donors).

The field research work in Sarajevo in May-June 2004 was undertaken as a part of a PhD study in its first attempt to discover the background of BiH within its process of reconstructing security forces. The complexity of political and constitutional framework of post-war BiH represents big challenge to overcome divided armed forces and to establish democratic oversight over security forces. The research affiliation with OSCE Mission to BiH provided access to information on security policy and defence reform, political negotiation process and peace implementation (i.e. disarmament and reduction of military personnel and budget, force restructuring) and to network of experts and stakeholders working on the transformation of security sector in BiH (BiH Ministry of Defence, Entity Ministries of Defence: Federation BiH and Republik Srpska, Office of High Representative (OHR), Stabilisation Forces (SFOR), UNDP Country Programme, Europe Union Police Mission/EUPM). Archive research, discussions and talks with implementation officers contribute to the construction of systematic analysis scheme on the current mechanism and operation of security forces in post-conflict Bosnia & Herzegovina with its challenges and perspectives for reform.

Contact

IUED
Rue Rothschild 24
CP 136
CH-1211 Genève 21

Hoang-Anh TA THI
1225 Chêne-bourg
Genève
Tel: +41 78 776 13 11
Email: h.tathi@dcaf.ch