Comparative study of local ownership and democratic governance of security sector reform: The case of Liberia and Sierra Leone

Abstract

This article provided a comparative study of Liberia and Sierra Leone military reform and tried to understand the relationship and bridge the literature gap by interpreting the relationship between democratic governance and local ownership of (SSR). It adopts a comparative analysis and historical documentation as a research methodology to investigate the relevance of local ownership in democratic military governance during the SSR process. These nations have common backgrounds and experienced close-knit conflicts. Foreign-supported initiatives to reform the security sector were conducted in both countries after the civil conflict. These reforms viewed Liberia as an example showing inadequate local ownership, while more extensive ownership was seen in Sierra Leone compared to her neighbor. This article argues that outcomes that will establish democratic control and military oversight can result from activities where ownership is present or absent. As such, local ownership of SSR is relevant but not required for the development and consolidation of democratic control of the military. Hence, the study recommends that SSR should not be built on a rejection of local ownership realities because it leads to a non-consultative approach of reform and finally, this study concludes that local ownership may not be necessary for democratic governance in the military; however, it is necessary for sustainable democratic governance.