Demilitarizing a small African country: Rationale, necessary conditions, and financing

Authors

  • Geoff Harris Durban University of Technology
  • Tlohang Letsie National University of Lesotho

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15355/epsj.14.1.39

Keywords:

Demilitarization, security sector reform, poverty, basic income grant, Lesotho

Abstract

Most efforts directed at security sector reform (SSR) in African countries have had very little impact. This includes efforts aimed at a more rational allocation of tasks and resources in the sector. This article is concerned with the strongest form of SSR, the total disbanding of military forces. The best example of effective demilitarization is Costa Rica, which has flourished since it disbanded its military some 70 years ago. The strategic situation, the negative behavior of its defense force since its formation, and the opportunity costs of military expenditure provide a strong case for the demilitarization of Lesotho, a small country in southern Africa. Five necessary conditions for a successful demilitarization can be identified, namely its acceptance by a country’s citizens, a willing government, a detailed demilitarization plan, an implementing agency, and adequate finances. While these are interrelated, the article focuses on financial aspects, including the need for foreign assistance to finance the initial investment required. The peace dividend resulting from demilitarization could be used to provide a basic income grant to all adult citizens. We estimate that this would raise average incomes of the poorest 95 percent of households by around 20 percent per annum.

Author Biographies

Geoff Harris, Durban University of Technology

Professor, International Centre of Nonviolence

Tlohang Letsie, National University of Lesotho

Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Studies

References

Bendix, D. and Stanley, R. 2008. “Security Sector Reform in Africa: The Promise and the Practice of a New Donor Approach.” ACCORD Occasional Paper. Vol. 3, No. 2. http://www.accord.org.za/publication/security-sector-reform-africa/ [accessed 3 May 2018].

GiveDirectly. 2018. “Research on Cash Transfers.” https://www.givedirectly.org/research- on-cash-transfers [accessed 2 June 2018].

Haarmann, C., D. Haarmann, H. Jauch, H. Shindonola-Mote, N. Nattrass, I. van Niekerk, and M. Samson. 2009. “Towards a Basic Income Grant for All. Basic Income Grant Pilot Project Assessment Report, April 2009.” Windhoek: Basic Income Grant Coalition and Namibia NGO Forum. http://www.bignam.org/Publications/BIG_Assessment_report_08b.pdf [accessed 15 April 2018].

Haiti-FLASH. 2017a. “Haiti Army: The Remobilization of the Armed Forces of Haiti, a Priority!” https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22694-haiti-army-the-remobilization-of-the-armed-forces-of-haiti-a-priority.html.

Haiti-FLASH. 2017b. “Roadmap for the Establishment of the Haitian Army.” https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20508

-haiti-flash-roadmap-for-the-establishment-of-the-haitian-army.html.

Harris, G. 2004a. “Central American Demilitarisation: A Model for Small Countries?” pp. 199–212 in G Harris, ed. Achieving Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cost Effective Alternatives to the Military. Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies.

Harris, G. 2004b. “Epilogue: Some Necessary Conditions for Demilitarisation,” pp. 185–197 in G. Harris, ed. Achieving Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cost Effective Alternatives to the Military. Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies.

Harris, G. 2008. “The Potential of Non-violence in Building Security in Southern Africa.” African Security Review. Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 88–113.

Harris, G. 2019 [in press]. “National Ministries of Peacebuilding,” in M. Hove and G. Harris, eds. Infrastructures for Peace in Sub-Saharan Africa. Heidelberg: Springer International.

Helliwell, J., R. Layard, and J. Sachs, J. 2017. World Happiness Report 2017. New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network. http://worldhappiness.report/ed/2017/ [accessed 15 April 2018].

Hill, R. 2000. “Medium Power Strategy Revisited.” Royal Australian Navy. Sea Power Centre Working Paper No. 3. http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Working_Paper_3.pdf [accessed 25 January 2019].

Institute for Economics and Peace. 2017. Global Peace Index 2017. http://visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2017/06/

GPI17-Report.pdf [accessed 15 April 2018].

Lesotho Bureau of Statistics and United Nations Development Program. 2014. 2010/11 Household Budget Survey. Analytical Report. Volume 1. Maseru: Lesotho Bureau of Statistics. http://www.bos.gov.ls/New%20/Folder/Copy%20of%20Economics/HBS_report_2010-2011.pdf [accessed 9 June 2018].

Letsie, T. 2018. “Demilitarising the Mountain Kingdom: An Action Research Project in Lesotho.” Ph.D. thesis in Peacebuilding. Durban: Durban University of Technology. http://hdl.handle.net/10321/3125 [accessed 14 May 2018].

McFarland, K. 2017. “Overview of Current Basic Income Related Experiments (October 2017)”. https://basicincome.org/news/2017/10/overview-of-current-basic-income-related-experiments-october-2017/ [accessed 15 June 2018].

Mothibe, T. 1999. “The Military and Democratization in Lesotho.” Lesotho Social Sciences Review. Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 47–61.

Peters, B. 2013. “Security without Deadly Violence: Costa Rica’s Potential as a Nonkilling State,” pp. 179–198 in J. Pim, ed. Nonkilling, Security and the State. Honolulu, HI and Omaha, NE: Creighton University.

Standing, G. 2017. Basic Income: And How We Can Make It Happen. London: Pelican Books.

[SIPRI] Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2018. SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex [accessed 9 June 2018].

[UNDP] United Nations Development Program. 2016. Human Development Report 2016. New York: UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2016_human_development_report.pdf [accessed 9 June 2018].

[UNDP] United Nations Development Program. 2018. Human Development Report 2018. New York: UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/en/2018-update [accessed 15 June 2018].

Wikipedia. 2018. “List of Countries without Armed Forces.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_without_armed_forces [accessed 10 June 2018].

Downloads

Published

2019-03-25

How to Cite

Harris, G., & Letsie, T. (2019). Demilitarizing a small African country: Rationale, necessary conditions, and financing. The Economics of Peace and Security Journal, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.15355/epsj.14.1.39

Issue

Section

Articles

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.