Building systems of accountability for intelligence services in Africa is relatively new phenomen... more Building systems of accountability for intelligence services in Africa is relatively new phenomenon. The intelligence sector has traditionally been viewed as a core arena of state security outside of the purview of parliament and civil society. As democratic arrangements have become more entrenched and oversight of the security sector has improved, space has opened for debate on the functions and practices of intelligence.
On the 15th of September 2008, a power-sharing agreement was brokered between the major political... more On the 15th of September 2008, a power-sharing agreement was brokered between the major political parties in Zimbabwe, namely, the Tsvangirai-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T), the Mutambara-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-M) and the then ruling Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). This Global Political Agreement (GPA) paved the way for the establishment of a Government of National Unity and the reconstruction of the society at large.
Security sector (or system) reform (SSR) has become an accepted part of the larger peacebuilding ... more Security sector (or system) reform (SSR) has become an accepted part of the larger peacebuilding and postconfl ict reconstruction agendas. It is posited as a crucial aspect in the creation of an enabling environment for development and stability. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the SSR process was designed as a means ‘to strengthen the ability of the sector as a whole and each of its individual parts to provide an accountable, equitable, eff ective and rights respecting public service’.1 Th e utility of the UNDP defi nition lies in its simple and succinct capturing of several aspects that are crucial to SSR, notably the following:
This paper questions the continued relevance of peacebuilding within external interventions in Af... more This paper questions the continued relevance of peacebuilding within external interventions in Africa. For peacebuilding to be relevant means not only dealing with the causes of conflicts passed, but also engaging with the harbingers of violence. These harbingers are the effects of inequality, prolonged through networks of obligation within patronage-based political systems that encourage the ambitious to harness localised grievances and conditions of impoverishment, and translate these into violence. If current trends prevail, future conflicts in Africa will be about the collective denial of individual rights in order to maintain and extend current configurations of power.
Since 1992, the United Nations has included a focus on peacebuilding as part of the international... more Since 1992, the United Nations has included a focus on peacebuilding as part of the international effort to assist states recovering from conflict. This paper argues that peacebuilding programming has prioritised order above other social values, which has resulted in an emphasis on building robust state structures as the way to instil stability within a society. This trend exposes the concept and practice of peacebuilding to a range of dilemmas, particularly around the role of violence in state formation and the problematics of statehood in Africa. Due to the inherent contradictions between peacebuilding and statebuilding, the former conceptually fails to provide a framework for prioritising interventions. This creates blindness to the conflicts that are caused by prioritising the control of complexity through the tools of the state.
Over the past ten years, the Zimbabwean security sector has increasingly come into the spotlight ... more Over the past ten years, the Zimbabwean security sector has increasingly come into the spotlight for being unduly politicised and non-partisan, and for infringing on the human rights of citizens. The formation of the new inclusive government in 2009 provided an opportunity to consider fundamental reforms in the provision of security and justice services to the people of Zimbabwe. This paper considers the need for security sector reform (SSR) in Zimbabwe and highlights potential short-term and long-term priorities in this regard.
As the title of the series of papers suggests, there are two primary issues for discussion. On th... more As the title of the series of papers suggests, there are two primary issues for discussion. On the one hand, the question 'To spy or not to spy?' has been posed. This question asks us to consider the nature of the role and function of the South African intelligence community and the role of the secret sector in the security apparatus of the state. On the other hand, the issue of the relationship between intelligence and democracy in South Africa is also brought to the fore. Seeking to establish and maintain democratic control of the intelligence sector is a challenge for even mature democracies. It is therefore important to consider and evaluate how the South African intelligence community is grappling with meeting the democratic demands of openness and accountability while, at the same time, maintaining the secrecy deemed necessary if intelligence is to function effectively.
Drawing from his thirty-five years as a professional intelligence practitioner, Michael Herman ha... more Drawing from his thirty-five years as a professional intelligence practitioner, Michael Herman has produced one of the most definitive texts for intelligence studies. This text makes a remarkable contribution to the emerging field of study on intelligence and presents a case that makes it difficult not to incorporate intelligence studies into the disciplines of war studies, international relations and political science.
The governance of the intelligence sector presents a unique set of challenges to democratic gover... more The governance of the intelligence sector presents a unique set of challenges to democratic governance and the practice of the principles of transparency, accountability and participation. South Africa has experienced a transition to democracy, which has been accompanied by reforms to the security sector of the state. The intelligence services have not been immune to the deepening vibrancy of the democratic South African state. Mechanisms of control and accountability have been established, and democratic oversight as prescribed by the Constitution is exercised through a parliamentary committee. The reputation of the intelligence community has, however, been tarnished by scandals, allegations of misuse of power and position, partisanship, lack of professionalism and poor-quality intelligence products. This paper seeks to analyse the current state of governance of the South African intelligence community and ascertain whether or not indications of an evolution towards greater account...
Building systems of accountability for intelligence services in Africa is relatively new phenomen... more Building systems of accountability for intelligence services in Africa is relatively new phenomenon. The intelligence sector has traditionally been viewed as a core arena of state security outside of the purview of parliament and civil society. As democratic arrangements have become more entrenched and oversight of the security sector has improved, space has opened for debate on the functions and practices of intelligence.
On the 15th of September 2008, a power-sharing agreement was brokered between the major political... more On the 15th of September 2008, a power-sharing agreement was brokered between the major political parties in Zimbabwe, namely, the Tsvangirai-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T), the Mutambara-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-M) and the then ruling Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). This Global Political Agreement (GPA) paved the way for the establishment of a Government of National Unity and the reconstruction of the society at large.
Security sector (or system) reform (SSR) has become an accepted part of the larger peacebuilding ... more Security sector (or system) reform (SSR) has become an accepted part of the larger peacebuilding and postconfl ict reconstruction agendas. It is posited as a crucial aspect in the creation of an enabling environment for development and stability. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the SSR process was designed as a means ‘to strengthen the ability of the sector as a whole and each of its individual parts to provide an accountable, equitable, eff ective and rights respecting public service’.1 Th e utility of the UNDP defi nition lies in its simple and succinct capturing of several aspects that are crucial to SSR, notably the following:
This paper questions the continued relevance of peacebuilding within external interventions in Af... more This paper questions the continued relevance of peacebuilding within external interventions in Africa. For peacebuilding to be relevant means not only dealing with the causes of conflicts passed, but also engaging with the harbingers of violence. These harbingers are the effects of inequality, prolonged through networks of obligation within patronage-based political systems that encourage the ambitious to harness localised grievances and conditions of impoverishment, and translate these into violence. If current trends prevail, future conflicts in Africa will be about the collective denial of individual rights in order to maintain and extend current configurations of power.
Since 1992, the United Nations has included a focus on peacebuilding as part of the international... more Since 1992, the United Nations has included a focus on peacebuilding as part of the international effort to assist states recovering from conflict. This paper argues that peacebuilding programming has prioritised order above other social values, which has resulted in an emphasis on building robust state structures as the way to instil stability within a society. This trend exposes the concept and practice of peacebuilding to a range of dilemmas, particularly around the role of violence in state formation and the problematics of statehood in Africa. Due to the inherent contradictions between peacebuilding and statebuilding, the former conceptually fails to provide a framework for prioritising interventions. This creates blindness to the conflicts that are caused by prioritising the control of complexity through the tools of the state.
Over the past ten years, the Zimbabwean security sector has increasingly come into the spotlight ... more Over the past ten years, the Zimbabwean security sector has increasingly come into the spotlight for being unduly politicised and non-partisan, and for infringing on the human rights of citizens. The formation of the new inclusive government in 2009 provided an opportunity to consider fundamental reforms in the provision of security and justice services to the people of Zimbabwe. This paper considers the need for security sector reform (SSR) in Zimbabwe and highlights potential short-term and long-term priorities in this regard.
As the title of the series of papers suggests, there are two primary issues for discussion. On th... more As the title of the series of papers suggests, there are two primary issues for discussion. On the one hand, the question 'To spy or not to spy?' has been posed. This question asks us to consider the nature of the role and function of the South African intelligence community and the role of the secret sector in the security apparatus of the state. On the other hand, the issue of the relationship between intelligence and democracy in South Africa is also brought to the fore. Seeking to establish and maintain democratic control of the intelligence sector is a challenge for even mature democracies. It is therefore important to consider and evaluate how the South African intelligence community is grappling with meeting the democratic demands of openness and accountability while, at the same time, maintaining the secrecy deemed necessary if intelligence is to function effectively.
Drawing from his thirty-five years as a professional intelligence practitioner, Michael Herman ha... more Drawing from his thirty-five years as a professional intelligence practitioner, Michael Herman has produced one of the most definitive texts for intelligence studies. This text makes a remarkable contribution to the emerging field of study on intelligence and presents a case that makes it difficult not to incorporate intelligence studies into the disciplines of war studies, international relations and political science.
The governance of the intelligence sector presents a unique set of challenges to democratic gover... more The governance of the intelligence sector presents a unique set of challenges to democratic governance and the practice of the principles of transparency, accountability and participation. South Africa has experienced a transition to democracy, which has been accompanied by reforms to the security sector of the state. The intelligence services have not been immune to the deepening vibrancy of the democratic South African state. Mechanisms of control and accountability have been established, and democratic oversight as prescribed by the Constitution is exercised through a parliamentary committee. The reputation of the intelligence community has, however, been tarnished by scandals, allegations of misuse of power and position, partisanship, lack of professionalism and poor-quality intelligence products. This paper seeks to analyse the current state of governance of the South African intelligence community and ascertain whether or not indications of an evolution towards greater account...
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Papers by Lauren Hutton