logistics system, as well as incorporating activities to change attitudes and
behaviors of security actors.
3. Prioritizing the gradual development of ownership. Responsibility and
authority for determining the strategic direction of the SSD program, identifying
and developing activities/projects, and then managing SSD program activities
have been progressively transferred to Burundian stakeholders – not just security
actors, but also civil society actors. From the outset, the intention was to engage
the public / civil society on the SSD program. However, the inclusion of civil
society organizations (CSOs) was initially very contentious for many Burundian
government officials. To address this challenge, skilled facilitators were brought
in to establish dialogue between parliamentarians and CSOs. Besides this
dialogue, they demonstrated how this cooperation and ownership had worked in
other African countries, they scheduled open houses at military/police facilities,
and they encouraged confidence-building activities. Because of this
engagement/inclusion, security has gradually become "everyone's affair" in
Burundi.
4. Matching timeframe with ambition and environment. SSD's 8-year
timeframe has enabled Burundian stakeholders to gradually understand what
SSR implies and to adjust attitudes and behaviors so that sustainable change
could take root. At the outset, key Burundian stakeholders did not truly
understand what the reforms (envisioned by the SSD program) entailed, why
they were important, or how to implement a process of institutional changes.
Therefore, SSD program managers did not immediately attempt to tackle
complex issues such as revising legal/security frameworks or instituting
transparent budget management procedures. Instead, the SSD program
managers first set out to build trust among actors/stakeholders, and then took
steps to educate the senior Burundian political leaders, local government officials
and civil society leaders about the importance of transparency, accountability,
respect for human rights, roles of actors in creating a safe and secure
environment, and so on.
Recommendation.
In a post-conflict environment where society at large perceives the security
forces as unprofessional, repressive, and corrupt, it is recommended that the
host nation government consider "transformative" security sector reform/
development, along the lines of the Burundi-Netherlands SSD program, in order
to improve/strengthen governance of the security sector. In taking this approach:
1. Put "politics" center stage; i.e., establish mechanisms to address and resolve
"political" issues/disputes.
2. Allow flexible programming to meet emerging needs and to progressively
achieve results.
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