National Defence Force Research Articles

Alcohol use and its associated factors among Ethiopian military personnel

BackgroundStudies indicate that alcohol use is more prevalent in the military and that such use is related to coping mechanisms for stress. Alcohol use could result in health and social...

The Facade of Justice: Transitionless Transitional Justice of Ethiopia

The Ethiopian government has committed to a transitional justice process to address gross human rights violations through investigation, prosecution, truth-finding and revelation, reconciliation, conditional amnesty, reparation, and institutional reforms. Despite these efforts and international support, this mechanism will unlikely resolve Ethiopia's political and security issues. The government's lack of intent to cease ongoing conflicts and its continued human rights violations hinder effective participation in implementing the transitional justice process. Furthermore, the involvement of non-state and foreign actors, which are beyond the state’s authority, in gross human rights violations undermines accountability. Victims and witnesses in conflict zones face significant barriers to participation due to the government's limited reach and fear of retribution. Gross human rights violations by the government and the Ethiopian National Defense Force raise doubts about the accountability of civil and military leaders through a government-controlled transitional justice mechanism. To address these challenges, the current government should relinquish power to a transitional government to mitigate undue influence on the justice process, cease hostilities, and hold officials accountable. If the government resists establishing a transitional government, a hybrid court with foreign judges and prosecutors should handle high-profile cases, while domestic courts, with strict measures to ensure impartiality and independence, should address other cases.

Measuring Cybersecurity Awareness in a South African Military Sample

Cyberspace has been identified as a new domain of warfare; awareness of cyber threats is therefore crucial for members of the military because it allows for greater insight into potential cyber threats and attacks. Furthermore, developing cybersecurity awareness may assist in the detection of cyber threats in the workplace, and may further assist members of the military to be cognisant of their own vulnerability in cyberspace. In South Africa, cybersecurity is a topic of interest, and the South African National Defence Force has highlighted the need to enhance its cybersecurity capacity. The Cybersecurity Orientation Questionnaire was developed for members of the South African military with the fundamental objective of assessing their cybersecurity awareness as part of a larger study. The purpose of the study on which this article is based, was to explore the initial validation of the Questionnaire using a South African military sample. The study design was quantitative, and the reliability and factor structure of the Questionnaire were analysed by means of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The sample size consisted of 182 military participants who were based at two military educational institutions. The Questionnaire showed acceptable reliability for research purposes (r = .79; p = .000) and the prominent three-factor structure was in line with the theorised factors envisioned during the development of the Questionnaire. Initial validation of the Questionnaire showed promising results for assessing cybersecurity awareness in the South African military sample. This study therefore emphasises the importance of developing instruments specifically for the South African military context.

From imperial power to regional policeman: Ethiopian peacekeeping and the developmental state

Abstract Why and how do African states become peacekeepers? Through a single-case study, this article accounts for a transformation in peace and security: how Ethiopia became the world's prime source of blue helmets in the early twenty-first century, having largely shunned peacekeeping in preceding decades. We propose that peacekeeping came to serve as an unexpectedly useful technology to pursue state-building agendas. Historically, regional proxy wars undermined state-building efforts in Ethiopia and mismanagement of ethno-linguistic diversity rendered it vulnerable to externally supported rebellions. In the 2000s, an evolving approach to peacekeeping dovetailed with the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front's (EPRDF) vision for recalibrating political order domestically and in the Horn of Africa. EPRDF became convinced that changing Ethiopia required changing its surrounding region. Regional intervention as peacekeeping was supported by global powers and helped bind neighbouring states to Ethiopia in new ways. This entailed the crafting of deep political ties in Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan that mitigated historical fears of Ethiopian hegemony and shielded EPRDF state-building from outside destabilization. Moreover, as Ethiopia's increasingly prominent role in United Nations and African Union missions improved the external environment for the EPRDF developmental state, it also expanded Ethiopian National Defence Force's role in the political economy, buttressing the party-state's hegemony.

Combatting Stunting through Strategic Management: Implications for National Defense Forces in Developing Countries

Abstract:
 This qualitative research investigates the ramifications of stunting prevalence on defense force recruits' physical readiness and cognitive capabilities in developing countries. Utilizing secondary data, the study aims to elucidate the impact of stunting on military personnel and explore the challenges stunted individuals encounter within national defense forces, consequently affecting force effectiveness. Furthermore, the research evaluates strategic interventions to combat stunting and proposes their integration into national defense frameworks.
 Findings indicate a significant correlation between stunting prevalence and compromised physical readiness among defense force recruits. Stunted individuals exhibit reduced physical fitness, compromised muscle development, and increased susceptibility to illnesses, hindering their readiness for military service. Moreover, the cognitive capabilities of stunted recruits are notably affected, with diminished memory, attention span, and decision-making abilities identified as challenges within defense forces.
 Strategic interventions encompassing nutrition programs, healthcare initiatives, and education campaigns emerge as effective measures against stunting. The integration of these interventions into national defense frameworks is proposed to enhance force readiness and performance. This research underscores the urgency of addressing stunting within defense forces, emphasizing its pivotal role in optimizing operational efficiency and effectiveness.
 Keywords: cognitive capabilities, defense forces, physical readiness, strategic interventions, stunting

Intelligence Collection Disciplines—A Systematic Review

Intelligence collection is an integral part of the intelligence cycle. In fact, some authors declare that it is at the heart of the intelligence discipline. Intelligence collection is typically done by a variety of intelligence collection disciplines and is as old as the Bible. In the past, intelligence collection consisted mainly of human intelligence (HUMINT). However, as technologies evolved, so too did collection methods, and the number of collection disciplines, therefore, increased substantially. Some of these intelligence collection disciplines also underwent some significant modifications because of these technological advances. An example of this is Image Intelligence (IMINT) which was previously seen as a collection discipline on its own. IMINT is nowadays considered a subdiscipline under Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT)—the addition of geographical information systems (GIS) in the 1980s is one of the reasons for this change. These and many other changes resulted in many authors not agreeing on the main disciplines (and subdisciplines) in the intelligence collection domain. Furthermore, different organizations may only perform certain intelligence collection tasks and therefore only consider a certain spectrum of the intelligence collection domain. In 2021, the South African National Defence Force started a new degree programme in Defence Intelligence Studies under the auspices of the Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University. It was, therefore, necessary to first establish what is globally considered the main intelligence collection disciplines and subdisciplines and secondly, which of these must be included when presenting intelligence collection as part of the degree programme in South Africa. The research entailed a two-phased approach, the first part entailed the PRISMA model to find relevant material that was analyzed with ATLAS.ti software during the second phase. The research is interesting since it suggests an expansion of the traditional list of intelligence collection disciplines by adding newer intelligence collection disciplines such as Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT) and Cyber Intelligence (CYBINT). These additions can also be applied to other educational institutions offering intelligence studies elsewhere in the world.

Re-evaluating Oversight of South African Defence Procurement: Can Combined Assurance Help Extract Full Accountability from the Department of Defence?

The Department of Defence and the South African National Defence Force have been plagued by defence procurement irregularities since the inception of democracy. As a result, several scholars have questioned the ability of certain oversight mechanisms to conduct proper oversight of the military, and of defence procurement specifically. The study on which this article reports therefore aimed to evaluate the ability of Parliament, the Military Ombud, the Auditor-General of South Africa, and the Public Protector to extract accountability from the Department of Defence for its defence procurement activities. Discussion of these four mechanisms will constitute the basis for evaluating whether a renewed approach to oversight, in the form of combined assurance, might be able to allow for extracting greater accountability from the military for its non-compliance with the regulatory frameworks of South African defence procurement. Keywords: Department of Defence, South African National Defence Force, Defence Procurement, Combined Assurance, Oversight, Accountability

Conceptualising a research interrogating of management functions in the South African National Defence Force

South African Defence Review 2015 found that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is in significant decline and will lose important military capabilities in the long term if nothing is done. In a shrinking defense budget, general rhetoric blames aging equipment and staff for the decline. However, managerial issues in the SANDF may be to blame for the decline. We examined academic and other literature to find the origin of this problem and found that the SANDF does not use any systems management methodology to manage tasks. This peculiarity hinders SANDF management and prevents it from providing credible defense to South Africa. We found that empirical studies on SANDF management are scarce and failed to explain this oddity. To understand why the SANDF's application inherent management functions fail to provide a genuine defense capacity, this paper proposes a cognitive technique to conceptualize an empirical investigation beyond a literature review. We propose a systems management approach based on the Administrative Theory of Management, Neoclassical Theory of Management, and General Systems Theory frameworks in management education. We believe that empirical public and management research may create defence capabilities management understanding. This premise guides our study conceptualization by outlining the research context and then doing a research problem analysis to find the knowledge gap. To examine the literature, we use thematic summative content analysis. The research conceptualisation—problem statement, purpose statement, research questions, strategy, design, process, and methods, and interpretative frameworks—is based on this analysis. On the latter, we expect to write later.

Institutional Culture and The Military: A Narrative of Women’s Experiences in The South African National Defence Force: The Case of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Institutional Culture and The Military: A Narrative of Women’s Experiences in The South African National Defence Force: The Case of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Challenges faced by women military officers in the South African National Defence Force: A case study of the Hoedspruit Air Force Base, Limpopo

abstract The military has a deep-rooted masculine culture. One of the aspects of this masculinity, which is hegemonic in its cultural dominance, is the perspective on and perception of femininity. The masculine behaviour resents the weak; therefore, soldiers are trained not to complain or project any feminine traits, such as being caring and nurturing, or displaying ‘softness’). Soldiers need to be able to do without emotions like empathy or showing emotions of regret in order to be able to function appropriately as soldiers. Feminine attributes are looked upon as ‘weak’ or ‘soft’. For instance, attributes such as sensitivity and compassion are deemed to be in contrast to the military culture. This article aims to elucidate the challenges faced by women military officers in the South African National Defence Force in Limpopo Province. It does so by applying the liberal feminist theory. The researcher used feminist qualitative research methods and an exploratory research design, with snowball sampling used to identify 15 female officers for in-depth interviews (6 women) and a focus group discussion (9 women). Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that women military officers face challenges such as gendered discrimination, racial discrimination, vigorous basic military training, and exclusion from participation in decision making. There is still much need for improvement when it comes to addressing the challenges faced by women in the military.

Guerrillas and Combative Mothers: Women and the Armed Struggle in South Africa

Siphokazi Magadla's Guerrillas and Combative Mothers rests on 40 life histories of women who joined armed struggles of many kinds to fight apartheid. The book is a result of her doctorate which in turn rests on work she did while being a research consultant at the Institute for Security Studies. In 2010, on the tenth anniversary of the United Nations' (UN's) adoption of Resolution 1325, Magadla and Chery Hendricks produced the documentary Women and Security Sector Transformation in South Africa (2010). Magadla interviewed Major General Ntsiki Memela-Motumi, then chief director of transformation management in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF); Thandi Modise, a previous chair of the Portfolio Committee on Defence in the National Assembly and; Mala Singh, former deputy national commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Memela-Motumi and Modise are both former combatants in Umkhonto weSizwe (MK). They provided rich accounts of how their experiences as women in MK informed their later roles in transforming the SANDF. However, the study also has a prior genesis in Magadla's own experience of being the daughter of a soldier in the Transkei Defence Force. He ended his military career at 40 after that force was integrated into the SANDF. Her mother, a psychiatric nurse, also made her aware of the unstable mental conditions of many soldiers who were demobilised from the various armed forces in the period around 1994. This personal knowledge plus the experience of working with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) gives the impetus for an important study. It is a study arising out of the complicated and turbulent moment in time when seven armies were integrated. These seven armies include the South African Defence Force (SADF), MK, the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) and the four 'homeland' armies. This was a period in which those who had chosen to fight apartheid were faced with the question of whether they were career soldiers or not; and whether a return to civilian life was possible now that there was no longer a war.

Women Representation in the Military: The Case of the South African National Defence Force, Limpopo Province

Promoting gender equality and women empowerment is a long standing item on the development agenda nationally and internationally. It is also item number five of the 2030 millennium development goals; gender equality, ending all discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic right but a human right. Research has proven that empowering women and girls helps economic growth and development. Empowering women is necessary for women’s enhancement in society and the workplace, the military is no exception. This paper argues on the gender mainstreaming policies in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and whether they are adequately implemented to ensure equal representation of women in all military ranks including combat. The researchers used Liberal Feminist Theory (LFT), which advocates for women’s right to be seen and acknowledged as human rights. The researchers employed a feminist qualitative research methodology and exploratory design. Snowballing sampling technique was used to select participants in the SANDF military air-force base in Hoedspruit, Limpopo and saturation was reached after the fifteenth participant for in-depth interviews. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis (TA). Findings in the study revealed that women in the military are of the view that the military is making strides in ensuring an equal representation between men and women, however women view themselves as less represented than their male counterparts, regardless of the policies put in place. Results also revealed that that the lack of representation of women in the military is due to the SANDF not being meant for women. The paper therefore concludes that women are not equally represented to their male counterparts in the military and that there is need for improvement towards this in senior and management positions within the SANDF. The study recommends that the SANDF as a government institution could also create a sense of urgency to all the units in the quest to ensure equal representation of women. Creating a sense of urgency not only will ensure that more women can be part of the military, but will also create an awareness of the necessity for women to join the army.

Human Resources Management in the Posture Development of the Indonesian National Armed Forces for National Defence

Human resources are the most important assets possessed by every institution, from the lowest level of institutions to the highest level such as the state. The dynamics of an uncertain and complex strategic environment have an impact on the defense posture of the TNI, which continues to be demanded to be able to balance these dynamics. In the process, the development of the TNI's posture experienced many obstacles, so that the role of human resource management (HR) was needed in developing the posture of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) for national defense purposes. Through a qualitative approach and data collection from primary and secondary sources, this study analyzes various aspects of human resource management that are relevant in the context of the TNI. The results of this study indicate that there are still problems in every process of human resource management in the development of the TNI's posture, such as welfare, health services, and social security. Based on these problems, the role of human resource management is needed according to the needs and dynamics of the existing strategic environment. The findings of this journal can provide insight into how effective human resource management can influence national defense forces and enhance TNI capabilities.

The Cabo Delgado Insurgency: A Symptom of Governance Failure in Mozambique

The terrorist attacks in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique started in 2017 and were perpetrated by armed militants. The insurgency resulted in the displacement of people, compromised health facilities, and a growing humanitarian crisis in the province. While the government’s national defence forces continue to fight to subdue the insurgents, violence in the province continues. In order to understand the conflict, this article highlights the root causes of the insurgency. Furthermore, by using a case study method and interpreting secondary data, the article illustrates that post-Mozambique civil war, the state has been unable to facilitate an inclusive democracy where citizens can participate in political life or provide them with a conducive environment to improve their lives. This article, thus, argues that the state’s limited ability to provide public goods for its population as well as its neglect of the Cabo Delgado province indicate governance failure, which has left the country vulnerable to insurgency. The article further recommends that, in the short-term, the state must counter the current insurgency and secure its territory, while in the long-term it must address evident weakness in governance. Keywords: Mozambique, Cabo Delgado province, Insurgency, Governance failure

Reserve Components as a Non-Military Defense Strategy to Support Defense Economic

Indonesia has large human resources and has a lot of potential if proper management and development is carried out. Human resources are the most important aspect as a determinant of the development of national defense. This potential has a positive effect with the aim of forming a reserve component as a support for national defense forces so that the formation of this reserve component can also be interpreted as a strategy. This paper aims to explain how the role of reserve components in non-military defense efforts. The method used by researchers is a qualitative method with a literature study approach. The result of this writing is that the reserve components originating from the community will return to the community, then this is considered as a soft-approach strategy to form a nationalist youth generation which will ward off threats that arise from various aspects of social life. It is hoped that the development of the strength and capability of national defense in the management of the reserve component will result in the success of the universal people’s security and defense system with a large number of civil society members becoming members of the reserve component.

An Exploratory Study on the Competency Analysis of Political Warfare Junior Officer in the ROC National Defense Forces: From the Perspective of the Work Experience of Junior Officer

<p>研究目的在於探討政戰初官職能內涵及建立與驗證職能類目的有效性，採工作者導向及職務導向並重的職能分析策略，從政戰初官工作經驗的角度，使用質化分析行為事例訪談法與量化分析問卷調查法收集實徵資料。研究一以七位政戰初官為訪談對象，分析出149則具有政戰初官職能內涵的項目，並歸納於認識單位、人際相處、專業性、觀察環境、自我調適等五個主要職能構面中，同時對各主構面之職能項目進行次構面的分類，最後完成職能類目架構的初步建立。研究二繼以研究一的149則職能項目建立問卷，通過專家效度的共計121則題項，33個次類目。接著以98位政戰初官有效問卷進行量化分析，驗證職能項目及類目的有效性。項目分析結果，121則項目所描述的行為事例，都含有某種會影響政戰初官適應職場、執行工作與表現的職能意義。因素分析結果，33個次類目合併成17個次類目，且大多屬於次類目之間的合併，原次類目中的職能項目大多是隨著新次類目的形成，全數併入新次類目中。</p> <p> </p><p>The study aims to explore the competency connotation of political warfare junior officers and to establish and validate the competency categories. From the perspective of work experience of junior officer, qualitative analysis of behavior event interviews and quantitative analysis of questionnaires are conducted. In Study 1, seven officers were interviewed to generate 149 items on the competency connotation of political warfare junior officers, classified into 5 categories. In Study 2, subject matter experts retained 121 items in 33 sub-categories, and 98 political warfare junior officers responded to the questionnaire to validate the items and categories. The results show all 121 items contain a competency meaning that affects the performance of junior officers. Factor analysis were performed to merge 33 sub-categories into 17.</p> <p> </p>

Ramifications of the lockdown on community police relations during the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa

Societies` views concerning the Criminal Justice System institutions are shaped not only by opportunities to interact with such institutions during normal work but also in part by efforts due to the larger mission (of these institutions) of encouraging and supporting such attitudes. Due to the global COVID 19 pandemic, most countries have implemented a lockdown as an initiative to control the spread of the virus. South Africa is no exception as the country joined most countries and announced the national lockdown in March 2020. With the national lockdown, Criminal Justice agencies such as the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were deployed across the country to ensure compliance with the lockdown regulations. The police are the most visible and powerful arm of the state, the nature of the state and the way it is perceived has a profound impact on police-community relations and vice versa. With South Africa’s pronouncement of the national lockdown and state of emergency due to the pandemic, more inquiries and investigations into police practice during the national lockdown will be made. It is precisely in this context that this study aims to reflect on police-community relations during the national lockdown. A criminological analysis on the ramifications of the dented police-community relations due to the national lockdown will be explored. With the national lockdown regulations, clearly gazetted, this study will also employ criminological theories to further interrogate the regulations that impacted on the dented police-community relations.

"Soldiers against gangsters?": Evaluation of the impact of the army deployment against gang violence on homicides in the Cape Flats

The debate on militarisation of domestic security around the world Is mostly normative and conceptual, but there are few estimates of the direct impact of the use of military forces in public security tasks. This paper assesses the impact on local homicides of the 2019 deployment of the South African National Defence Force in police station areas in Cape Town, a measure taken to stem gang violence. It uses an interrupted time-series approach to estimate the effect by comparing murder counts in relevant precincts before and during the deployment, compared to precincts with similar murder rates and socioeconomic characteristics. Results show that there was an apparent initial reduction in the month in which the measure was taken, but the presence of the army was not associated with a significant decrease in homicides over the deployment period.

Determining compliance with the COVID-19 daily symptom monitoring tool used to identify suspected COVID-19 workers of the military health support formation employees of the South African national defence force

Determining compliance with the COVID-19 daily symptom monitoring tool used to identify suspected COVID-19 workers of the military health support formation employees of the South African national defence force

Perceived Barriers Affecting Adherence to Healthy Eating and Exercise Guidelines among Obese Active-Duty Military Personnel of the South African National Defence Force

Perceived Barriers Affecting Adherence to Healthy Eating and Exercise Guidelines among Obese Active-Duty Military Personnel of the South African National Defence Force