Security sector reform and peacebuilding in Africa with special reference to the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

SUMMARY This essay is a preliminary research note on “Security Sector Reform (SSR)” as part of peacebuilding in African countries. It looks at the cases of UN peacekeeping missions in Africa and identifies elements of SSR in them. First of all, this essay starts with recalling UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan’s Report in 1998 on conflict causes in Africa, while arguing that the theoretical foundation of SSR in Africa was prepared in the Report. Next, the essay summarizes the record of SSR related UN peacekeeping missions in Africa and finds that its elements evolved conspicuously after 1997, the year Annan became the Secretary-General. The essay then focuses on the case of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is the largest UN peacekeeping mission at the moment.