PostConflict Reconstruction and the Challenges of Human Security in Africa

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Post-Conflict Reconstruction and the Challenges
of Human Security in Africa

• Franklyn Lisk
• Centre for the Study of Globalisation and
  Regionalisation
• University of Warwick, UK
• Conference on Post-Conflict Security, Justice and
  Reconciliation in Africa
• Royal United Services Institute
• London, 26 November 2007

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Background to Post-conflict Reconstruction in
Africa

• More than four decades of wars, armed conflicts
  and political crises which affected over
  two-thirds of the countries in the African
  continent, with massive humanitarian and
  financial losses (e.g. Angola, Burundi, Chad,
  Cote dIvoire, DRC, Ethiopia, Liberia, Namibia,
  Nigeria, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone,
  Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe,
  etc.)
• Roots of conflict colonial/historical legacy,
  authoritarian governance and abuse of power,
  corruption, ethnic tension, external intervention

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Background to Post-conflict Reconstruction in
Africa

• Cessation of hostilities and peace-making in the
  majority of those countries a decade ago at
  least 25 countries were affected by armed
  conflicts, today only about 5 countries are
  affected by armed conflicts
• Post-conflict reconstruction efforts now
  on-going in several African countries a common
  feature of socio-economic development planning
  and the political process in the region

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Post-conflict Reconstruction Analytical Framework

• Political process implementation of
  conflict-resolution and peace-making strategies
  disarmament, demobilization, reintegration
• Economic development investment in post-conflict
  economic recovery and reconstruction
• Social progress rebuilding of social capital,
  basic social services and relevant institutions
• Human security protecting personal security and
  promoting human rights

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Political Process

• Peace-making strategies addressing roots of
  conflict inclusive approach
• Peace-building programmes national
  reconciliation, reintegration, socio-economic
  opportunities for ex-combatants and victims
• Democratic governance participation, fairness,
  accountability
• Political will and leadership committed to
  peace-making/building and post-conflict
  reconstruction

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Economic Development

• Economic recovery and reconstruction policies and
  programmes reintegration programmes incorporated
  into national development process rehabilitation
  of critical infrastructure
• Employment job creation, training and access to
  income-earning opportunities targeted at
  ex-combatants, female/ child soldiers, disabled
  ex-combatants, youth

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Economic Development

• Resource mobilization natural resource
  management, restructuring of aid and debt
• Public sector capacity effective and timely
  implementation of programmes and efficient
  delivery of services
• Positive environment for investment and economic
  growth enhancing the role of the private sector
  in post-conflict reconstruction

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Social Progress

• Emphasizing basic human needs and anti-poverty
  approaches to development
• Investing in human resources access to ,
  health, education
• Enacting institutional reforms for facilitating
  reintegration, social cohesion and meeting
  needs of vulnerable and special groups
• Promoting social justice non-discrimination and
  non-stigmatization

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Social Progress

• Promoting gender equality
• Revitalizing and empowering civil society
  community involvement
• Ensuring broad-based participation in
  decision-making process at all levels

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Human Security and Post-conflict Reconstruction
Outline

• Contrasting state and human security
• Components of human security
• Conflict-related threats to human security
• Key requirements for assuring human security
• Strategies, policies and programmes for
  safeguarding human security
• Human security performance indices
• Challenges

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Contrasting State and Human Security

• State Security
• Protecting political structures and territory
• Exclusive stress on survival of the state and
  territorial sovereignty
• Based on freedom from fear- war, terrorism,
  territorial security
• Emphasis on state rights and territorial
  sovereignty

• Human Security
• Protecting human well-being
• Greater stress on survival of people and human
  and socio-economic dev.
• Based on freedom from want basic human needs,
  people security
• Emphasis on protection and promotion of human
  rights and dignity

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Components of human security

• Political security
• Economic security
• Personal security
• Food security
• Health security
• Environmental security
• Community security

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Conflict-related threats to human security

• Violation of human rights linked to armed
  conflict, political unrest, military
  intervention, inter-ethnic strife
• Job and income insecurity limited access to
  socio-economic opportunities, labour market
  instability, unemployment, no publicly-financed
  social protection programmes or other forms of
  transitional social safety net
• Threats from violent crime (e.g. directed at
  women, children rape, abduction, child
  soldiers) from the state or other groups
  (detention, torture)

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Conflict-related threats to human security

• Food insecurity disruption of food production,
  non-availability or poor distribution of food
  poor nutrition
• Spread of disease ( e.g. HIV/AIDS) lack of
  access to healthcare facilities, unsafe and
  unhealthy environment
• Population displacement loss of livelihoods and
  property rights

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Conflict-related threats to human security

• Environmental degradation destruction of land
  (land mines) and shelter, deforestation, lack of
  access to clean water
• Destruction of traditional communities loss of
  cultural identity by ethnic or racial group
• Global and cross-border crimes ( illicit mining
  and logging, drug trafficking, money- laundering)

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Key requirements for human security

• Conflict resolution sustained
• Long-term political stability and economic
  development
• Democratic governance and leadership
• Societal transformation
• Respect for human rights and rule of law

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Strategies, policies and programmes for assuring
human security

• Post-conflict peace-building strategies
  -Disarmament and demobilization
• -Peacekeeping deployment
• -Sustaining peace agreement
• -International, regional, sub-regional
  support for recovery and reconstruction
  efforts
• -Stopping arms proliferation, sanctions

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Strategies, policies and programmes

• Humanitarian interventions
• Reintegration and resettlement
• Access to basic services
• Socio-economic opportunities
• Economic growth and wide distribution of benefits
  national governance
• Review and change in structure and mechanism of
  multilateral institutions providing external
  assistance - global governance
• Social justice

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Human security performance indices (relationship
between econ., pol. and social dimensions)

• UNDPs Human Development Index (HDI)
• World Banks Country Performance and
  Institutional Assessment (CPIA) index
• Freedom Houses Index on Democracy
• Transparency Internationals Corruption
  Perception Index (CPI)
• Mo Ibrahims African governance ranking
• UNs Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

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Challenges for safeguarding human security in a
post-conflict setting

• Creating and maintaining democratic political
  process for suppressing conflict, sustaining
  peace and protecting rights
• Integrating peace process in post-conflict
  reconstruction programmes
• Establishing favourable economic environment for
  sustaining peace and development

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