Africa`s Security Forces United in Diversity
blurb:isstoday:01042008afrisecurity
01 April 2008: Africa’s Security Forces United in Diversity
Many African states have been mired in conflict since the beginning of the post-colonial era. This grim state of affairs has been exacerbated by acute discrimination against ethnic groups. As a consequence of colonisation, African people from differing ethnic groups and identities were amalgamated within the same country. The tendency for most countries has been to grant more access to resources to particular groups, thereby placing them in positions of power over others. This has resulted in feelings of frustration and anger within disadvantaged communities. The situation has been further exacerbated by scarcity of resources. Unscrupulous individuals have made use of these factors to manipulate ethnic and cultural divides to suit their purposes. This has often translated into violent conflict as groups compete for resources and for access to power.
Examples of such conflicts are the ethnic wars in Burundi and Rwanda, both featuring struggles for ascendancy - despite cultural similarities - between the Tutsi and Hutu groups. Ethnic based conflicts have been seen in countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Kenya. It is clear from the latter that ethnic tensions remain under the surface even though suppressed by state structures. Small incidents frequently lead to a ‘boiling-over’ of an already bubbling pot of frustration linked to ethnic disparities. The security forces of these countries tend to reflect these ethnic divisions, with the ethnic group in power generally having significantly more representation within the security forces. The obvious consequence is the use of these forces to perpetuate divisive ideology along ethnic lines, feeding into the conflicts that ensue.
A viable solution may lie in what is termed Cross-cultural Sensitivity training as has been undertaken by the South African National Defence Forces (SANDF). South Africa, as a nation with so much diversity, needed to form a defence force that is representative of the face of the country. After the end of the struggle to overcome apartheid, the first step in this process was the integration of a wide range of culturally diverse forces into the new SANDF. Following this there was a need for a transformation programme able to address the diversity that characterised the newly incorporated forces. This training, which is ongoing, involves the inculcation of a shared value system, a cultural diversity program and a code of conduct for soldiers at all levels. The main aim is to set up a new culture of shared and common values in order to unite all within the army.
The application of such training for all forces, continent wide, would allow for cultural understanding to develop within the armed forces. Such training embodies a culture of comradeship, discipline and authority and could serve as a vehicle of nation building to the broader public and as a conduit for successful cultural integration to filter down to communities. It is however imperative to undertake such activities within the constraints of relevant legal frameworks that ensure equal opportunities for different ethnic groups within the armed forces and other spheres of society. This will help prevent politicians from manipulating ethnicity to suit their agendas. In the long run, this will have positive implications for conflict prevention on the continent.
More than ever, Africa needs to invest in competent and trustworthy security forces that have the nation’s interests at heart. This can only come about through the education of our armed forces and communities. The only thing that can genuinely address ethnic conflict is a change in cultural consciousness that transcends societal divides and which permeates all communities. Only then can we achieve peace and stability.
Nadia Ahmadou, Intern, Security Sector Governance Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria)
