Summary
The African continent has become a region of immense interest for researchers across various disciplines. More specifically, this area of the globe appears highly promising in terms of its economic, political, social, and industrial growth. Following years of foreign oppression and exploitation, the resources of the continent have been misused to a considerable extent. Because of this situation, the development pace of Africa has remained subpar for many years in the history. Furthermore, the exploitation of resources and the attempts to divide them between foreign colonial powers fueled multiple conflicts that divided the people of Africa. Wars and smaller armed confrontations spread throughout Africa, forcing the local population to engage in combat rather than effective state-building. Consequently, the state of conflict became the norm for many parts of Africa throughout recent decades, which, in turn, created a poor reputation for the continent in general.
On the other hand, by the 2020s, the image of the African nations had seen major improvements as the lack of external pressure allowed local people to concentrate on their own development. As a result, many countries of the continent have seen a major increase in their economic growth, political influence, and the residents’ quality of life. Through this process, African nations begin to receive due recognition and fulfill their immense potential. Thus, the continent has successfully begun the transition to a new, post-conflict stage of development. At this point, it becomes highly important to create a well-functioning state mechanism that will take the country in the right direction.
This idea comprises an effective combination of institutional frameworks that need to remain aligned for the proper democratic state to be built. These tendencies are particularly strong in the sub-Saharan area of Africa, which becomes a subject of intense interest within the discussed context. Among the many African states, some are deprived of the due attention of researchers and the public. In this regard, the case of Sierra Leone as an example of post-conflict state-building in sub-Saharan Africa appears highly interesting and promising. The proposed research aims to examine the key aspects of democratic state-building from an institutional perspective. Next, it is envisaged to compare this theoretical framework with the objective, a practical situation observed presently in Sierra Leone as a representative of sub-Saharan Africa.
Research Problem
The purpose of the projected research is to evaluate the current progress of institutional state-building in the sub-Saharan region based on the example of post-conflict Sierra-Leone. The main idea is to provide a comprehensive review of the primary features that reflect positive state-building, aligning with the commonly accepted democratic values. Next, the acquired theoretical vision is to be compared with the practical data. As per the initial assumption that lays the foundation of the present research, the key problem consists of the underrepresentation of this region within the domain of the current academic discussion. In spite of the evident importance and potential of Africa, in general, and the sub-Saharan region, in particular, for global geopolitics and economy, further emphasis is required to outline the current state of the issue, its progress, enablers, and barriers.
Research Questions and Objectives
The central objective of the projected research is to evaluate the functioning of state institutions in post-conflict Sierra Leone as compared to the theoretical vision of this process. In order to accomplish it, several complementary objectives are to be introduced:
- Examine the historical profile of Sierra Leone to put the potential challenges and enablers in a context.
- Examine the contemporary body of knowledge in regard to the theoretical paradigm of democratic state-building.
- Obtain practical data related to the functioning of the state mechanisms in Sierra-Leone.
- Outline the key enablers and barriers of post-conflict state building in Sierra-Leone
- Analyze whether the practical progress of state building in Sierra-Leone aligns with the theoretical framework present within the contemporary body of knowledge.
Considering the research objectives, both principal and secondary ones, it appears possible to provide the central research question that will determine the direction of the projected dissertation:
RQ: Does the process of post-conflict state-building in Sierra Leone correspond with the commonly accepted democratic framework and the expectations of the nation’s people?
Review of the Literature
The key to establishing the validity and accuracy of a study lies in the formation of a strong theoretical foundation. More specifically, the projected research is to rely on a comprehensive review of the literature related to the primary aspects of the central topic and objectives. At the current stage, the envisaged process of research is to be centered around a universally accepted image and of state building. This image is based on the best practices of institutional work observed in both developed and emerging societies across the globe. Decades of positive experience enable a strong, evidence-based perspective on the matter at hand that can serve as the point of reference for new attempts of state-building, including post-conflict states of sub-Saharan Africa. For this purpose, the concept of democratic state-building in the 21st century will be the first thematic element of the overall study.
However, nations do not exist in a vacuum, meaning that each state has a specific historical, political, and social context. In this regard, the examination of Sierra-Leone’s profile will yield a better understanding of the challenges and particularities faced by the nation. Thus, the background of the nation’s state-building process is to be examined on both levels. First, the greater context of post-conflict Africa with an emphasis on the sub-Saharan region is to be introduced. Through this lens, the complexity of the continent’s legacy will be revealed and examined. Second, the specific features of Sierra-Leone deserve additional analysis, as it may provide an explanation of certain aspects of the institutional functioning within the county’s state-building paradigm. Finally, an attempt will be made to draft a preliminary outline of the key features that affect the process of state building in Sierra-Leone, both enablers and barriers to success. The review of the contemporary body of knowledge will accomplish two objectives, establishing a theoretical framework of the discussion and revealing the existing gaps in research.
The Concept of Democratic State Building
Within the contemporary environment, the concept of state-building is strongly associated with the implementation of democratic values into the institutional framework of a nation. Such a tendency is not surprising, as various democratic paradigms have established their effectiveness by the 21st century, becoming the central pillar of most developed societies. Aspiring countries rely on the examples of such prosperous areas, such as the United States and the European Union, that introduced an advanced level of quality of life for their residents. For Sweet (2020), the process of building a state begins with peace in the region, as the lack thereof would undermine all efforts. This idea is particularly topical for Africa, as the colonial legacy has created a favorable environment for the eruption of conflicts and even wars across the continent. Sweet (2020) supports this idea with the example of the Democratic Republic of Congo that saw major benefits of the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in the area. The prevention of military conflicts established a framework of long-term development, which promoted the process of institutional state-building in the country.
Thus, the key determinant of state building is related to ensuring that conflicts, indeed, become a matter of the past. This idea is supported in the dissertation provided by Bienvenu (2018) and devoted the process of peaceful state-building in Africa. The author relies on the example of Rwanda as a post-conflict state that struggled to achieve the required level of institutional development and provide its residents with the due quality of life. In this regard, the major underlying factors of failure to build a well-functioning state revolve around the presence of confrontation. As per Bienvenu’s (2018) findings, this idea extends beyond the realm of immediate physical warfare, as the clashes of opinions equally undermine the efforts of democratization. Thus, ongoing political disputes and the stratification of society contradict the overarching characteristics of democratic state-building. While this paradigm welcomes different opinions, it remains vital to keep the discussion within civilized limits to prevent conflicts on all levels.
In recent years, the notion of democratization has become more frequent in the context of African political, economic, and social studies. Moreover, researchers begin to acknowledge the heterogeneous character of this vast continent, implementing evidence-based views on its diverse political landscape. Villalón and Idrissa (2020) concentrate on the West-African Sahel as an area that has been placed in the focus of global concerns about democratization. The example of these states, including Senegal, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and others, showcases the political struggle of the African continent. The colonial heritage of the area is multi-faceted, and, in many ways, it instigates the ongoing challenges of state building. In this context, one of the primary objectives of state-building in West Africa is to ensure institutional resilience. In other words, the state’s institutions are to be well-defined and strong enough to withstand the potentially damaging impact of both external and internal challenges.
However, the struggles of democratic state-building are not unique to the African region. Similar to the positive examples of institutional development, Europe possesses the cases of difficulties that states had to endure on the path to state building. For Visoka and Richmond (2017), the state of Kosovo becomes one of such prominent examples. More specifically, the authors report that “attempts to build a liberal peace and a concurrent neoliberal state in Kosovo have not managed to produce a sustainable and emancipatory peace” (p. 110). This nation faced a pressing objective of becoming incorporated in the European paradigm of development and cooperation. In order to attain such an outcome, the reliance on clearly defined democratic values of peace, stability, dialogue, and respect was indispensable. However, in the post-conflict stage of state building, the disputes remain strong, preventing the solidification and consolidation of institutes. In a way, the case of Kosovo intersects with the general context of Africa, as the continent with its major subregions faces a similar objective of becoming incorporated in the global democratic framework.
Sub-Saharan Africa
While the processes of the institutional development and post-conflict state building are universally accepted across various settings, each region of the globe presents an array of particularities that are to be incorporated in the scope of the research. As such, Africa is a vast continent with varying historical, ethnographic, economic, and political backgrounds. Within it, the sub-Saharan territory is a particular area with its own features. Hoeffler (2019) acknowledges the importance of post-conflict stabilization and democratic state building for the entire continent. However, he equally considers the sub-Saharan region to possess even higher risks of the lack of state stability as compared to the rest of Africa.
Most areas of this territory have experienced the aftermath of different conflicts that had lasting repercussions on their development. In this regard, Hoeffler (2019) states that the manner in which a confrontation ends is the key determinant of the subsequent development. Lasting and uninterrupted peace becomes a crucial element of state building, putting a nation’s ability to provide it to an ultimate test. For Hoeffler (2019), post-conflict negotiations are important, but the most optimal results are achieved through the intervention of third parties, namely the U.N. peacekeepers. As per the survival analysis, their involvement contributes to the favorable state-building environment. However, the challenges and intricacies of the multi-faceted sub-Saharan region pose additional challenges for peacekeeping initiatives.
Similar tendencies have been observed across different nations of the sub-region. In their dissertation, Heritage and Tesfayohannes (2020) discuss the cases of Eritrea and Namibia as representatives of the sub-Saharan territory. According to them, the process of post-conflict transition became a major social and political challenge for the nation. At this stage, it was vital to ensure long-lasting peace through the introduction of well-functioning democratic processes and institutes. This process implies a high degree of local population populations’ involvement, as well. Such an idea is justified by the fundamental concepts of democratization, as people of the nation are to be the final judges of the institutional development’s success or lack thereof. In other words, for the positive assessment of post-conflict institutional development, it is vital to see the corresponding feedback of the people who are supposed to experience this development in terms of quality-of-life improvements. This idea is essential for the future direction of the present study, as it largely defines the practical aspect of the envisaged research project.
The history of African democratization is abundant in terms of examples of post-conflict transition to well-functioning institutional frameworks. This idea is explored within the article by Buscher (2018) who relies on the prior cases of Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda to highlight the key aspects of the discussed process. All these nations had to withstand major conflict-related challenges in the recent past, which were largely conditioned by the negative heritage of colonial times. In the current landscape of the continent, Buscher (2018) observes a major role “of ‘the urban’ in African conflict dynamics in order to seize their future potential as centres of stability, development, peace-building or post-conflict reconstruction” (p. 193). More specifically, the emerging prevalence of urbanization becomes the key determinant of the institutional development direction for the region. As such, governments face an ultimate objective in terms of eradicating the spoils of conflict in a modern, urbanized society of sub-Saharan Africa.
Sierra-Lione: A Political Perspective
The state of Sierra Leone is located in the Sub-Saharan region of the African continent. The historical context of this nation is conditioned by its past in the status of a British colony. Since 1971, Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic of the Commonwealth, making it a relatively young democracy (Fyfe, n.d.). Furthermore, the multiparty system of the country’s parliament was introduced as recently as 1992, followed by a destructive sequence of civil conflicts within the nation. Thus, the modern history and politics of Sierra Leone are largely established by the prevalent legacy of a devastating civil war (Nyokabi et al., 2017). For state building, amending internal crises is infinitely more challenging than coping with the aftermath of a conflict with external enemies. Thus, the overarching institutional objective of Sierra Leone is related to consolidating the diverse social landscape of the country. Figure 1 represents the ethnic composition of the country, reflecting the complexity of the population and the associated challenges. In this regard, the policy-makers of Sierra Leone are to adjust their state building strategy accordingly.
Throughout its recent history, Sierra Leone, across other sub-Saharan nations, has made several attempts at effective state-building. According to Bah (2017), this struggle has been conditioned by “ideological and policy debates about the right approach for enhancing freedom and social wellbeing” (p. 989). Upon acquiring state independence, African nations have relied on the various iterations of unorthodox varieties of liberalism and socialism. These attempts aimed at establishing well-functioning state institutions capable of ensuring the sustained growth of the country. Nevertheless, Bah (2017) states the insufficiency of these paradigms to meet the requirements posed by such a global task. Accordingly, recent years have marked a shift toward a different paradigm of people-centric liberalism as an alternative approach to state-building. More specifically, such a tendency has been observed in Sierra Leone and Liberia. However, the success of this paradigm’s implementation for the former is yet to be investigated.
State Building Enablers and Barriers
The process of state building is complicated and multifaceted, which reflects its importance for post-conflict areas. According to Patrick (2017) the initial stage of state building is crucial, as the risks of re-emerging conflicts continue to persist. More specifically, the roots of the conflict are to be fully eradicated for the process to succeed. Otherwise, the remaining differences within the social and political landscape may undermine the struggle of policy-makers. Thus, the lack of social consolidation is a major barrier to proper state-building in post-conflict areas. Rabaia et al. (2019) concur with the idea, adding that another deterrent to the natural development is associated with excessive interventions in the economy on behalf of the state. On the contrary, freedom of trade and self-realization becomes the key to better state-building in post-conflict zones.
At the same time, the help of international organizations is highly valued within the framework of the discussed issue. However, Campbell and Matanock (2021) note that their involvement is widely associated with the weaker power of the local states. Thus, international help is to be balanced by internal initiatives in order to retain the authority and legitimacy of the government. The latter concept is referred to as another essential enabler of state building by Dagher (2018). In many post-conflict nations, there is a serious lack of a social contract between the residents and authorities, which complicates the reconstruction process. Thus, the legitimacy of the state is a concept of immense value that consolidates society and establishes the required social contract.
Research Gap
Based on the preliminary review of the literature, it appears possible to distinguish two major research gaps in the contemporary body of literature. First of all, while the concept of post-conflict state-building in Africa has become a matter of intense interest for researchers and experts, most studies concentrate on the most obvious examples. More specifically, the current literature investigates the discussed concept through the lens of such prominent African states, as Uganda and Kenya, which receive an unbalanced amount of interest. At the same time, Sierra Leone receives less interest of researchers, remaining highly underrepresented in spite of its interest in the discussion. Second, most studies investigate the matter at hand from the state’s perspective. The reviewed articles rely on the actions and policies to be implemented by the authorities while exhibiting less interest in regard to the people’s experiences. In fact, as per the fundamental dogmas of democratization, the population of the country is to judge the success of state building. Thus, the population’s opinion is to become the key instrument of institutional assessment in the context of post-conflict state building in Sierra Leone.
Methodology
Design of the Study
The projected study is to follow a multi-level case study design that relies on the qualitative dimension of the research. First, in order to establish a clearer theoretical framework, an extended literature review is to be conducted. The theoretical research of the body of knowledge will provide insight into the history and modernity of democratic state building. It appears relevant to investigate the past cases of the nations that had to undergo a similar process. In addition, the internal social and political situation of Sierra Leone is to be investigated along with the broader context of the sub-Saharan region. Next, once the theoretical framework takes shape, the subsequent phase of the study will include a series of in-depth interviews with the residents of Sierra Leone. This way, the theoretical framework will be compared with the practical perspective, allowing for the comparative analysis of the preferred and actual situations in the country.
Data Sources
Within the framework of the theoretical section of the proposed study, the research is to rely on credible sources of academic knowledge. The core of the literature will comprise articles from peer-reviewed scholarly journals and books. They are to be published within the past ten years to ensure the up-to-date character of the study, as it is to reflect the contemporary perspective on the matter at hand. However, for the supporting information, alternative electronic resources may be incorporated, as long as they are related to the common, general knowledge in regard to the country and the region. The practical component of the study is to rely on the primary knowledge obtained directly from the key stakeholders of state building in Sierra Leone. The two datasets are to be consolidated within the study, enabling a comprehensive and objective review of the discussed topic.
Target Population and Sample
The empirical section of the projected study is to rely on the primary knowledge provided by the residents of Sierra Leone. The target population is going to comprise people of both sexes who permanently reside in the country. They are to be at least 30 years of age to ensure that they have enough experience with the state institutions of Sierra Leone and can provide a dynamic perspective on the evolution of state building in the country. The participants are to be recruited and contacted by the means of the Internet to avoid the restrictions imposed by geographical factors. In addition, the ongoing COVID-19 situation is another contributor to the value of the remote format of the discussion. The size of the sample is to be well-balanced to ensure the validity and objectivity of the study while providing a sufficient timeframe for each discussion and analysis. Therefore, the envisaged sample will comprise 15 participants who meet the requirements of the research.
Ethical Considerations
From an ethical perspective, the study is to be conducted in light of certain considerations. First of all, the theoretical aspect of the research will incorporate a large number of secondary resources written by other authors. In this regard, it is crucial to maintain the academic integrity of the literature review and ensure that other scholars’ works are referenced within all the requirements. Second, the practical side of the study will include the direct involvement of individual residents of Sierra Leone. Thus, each participant will be able to remain anonymous, which will also enable a more open discussion. In addition, all individuals will be informed of the purpose and design of the study. An informed consent form is to be examined and signed by the participants, who will reserve the right to withdraw from research at any point.
Hypotheses
Based on the provided research question and objectives, the central hypotheses are to be introduced to serve as the key driving force of the research:
- Ho = Residents of Sierra Leone give a positive institutional assessment to the process of state building in the country.
- H1 = Residents of Sierra Leone give a negative institutional assessment to the process of state building in the country.
Significance of the Study and Contribution to the Knowledge
The significance of the envisaged study consists of its ability to bridge the identified research gap. First of all, it will provide a clear theoretical framework of democratic state-building in 21st-century, post-conflict sub-Saharan Africa. This framework will be adapted to the regional particularities, addressing the area-specific barriers and enablers of state building in Sierra Leone. Second, the research will investigate the matter at hand from the people’s perspective, which is a highly underrepresented aspect of the discussion.
Limitations of the Study
In spite of the ambitious scope of the envisaged research project, it will include some limitations. They are related directly to the novelty of the discussion, as the people’s perspective is rarely incorporated into it. However, a sample of fifteen people will still introduce a limited perspective that may not suffice to evaluate fully decades of post-conflict state building in Sierra Leone. Thus, it will become a starting point of subsequent investigation in this direction, which will yield objective and unimpaired insight into the matter at hand.
Organization of the Study
For better presentation of the content, the study will be organized into three main chapters, reflecting the key stages of the research. Chapter one will be devoted to the theoretical aspect of the project, incorporating a synthesis of the contemporary literature related to the various pertinent aspects of the discussion. Chapter two will review the empirical phase of the project, describing the procedures of the interview organization and obtained information. Finally, the third chapter will introduce the analysis of both data sets, drawing conclusions.
Expected Research Outcomes
The projected research is expected to yield positive knowledge outcomes on two levels. From a theoretical perspective, it will synthesize the existing body of knowledge, elaborating on the theoretical framework of democratic state-building in post-conflict areas. This framework per se will be a valuable addition to the knowledge on the subject, as it will be adapted to the particular features of sub-Saharan Africa and Sierra Leone, in particular. In addition, the key outcome of the envisaged study consists of the comprehensive institutional assessment of post-conflict state building in Sierra Leone. It will be based on both publicly available and academic data, as well as the country residents’ experiences. The combination of the two outcomes will ensure a major contribution of the study to the discussion on the subject matter.
Analysis and Interpretation
The analysis section of the study is going to be based on the thematic analysis of the interview data. The project will investigate the information provided by each participant on the semantic level, distinguishing the key themes prevalent in the discussion. These ideas will be interpreted and categorized in accordance with the theoretical framework for further comparison. Based on the analysis, final conclusions will be drawn, enabling a comprehensive institutional evaluation of state building in Sierra Leone.
Reference List
Bah, A. B. (2017) ‘People-centered liberalism: an alternative approach to international state-building in Sierra Leone and Liberia’, Critical Sociology, 43(7-8), pp. 989-1007. doi: 10.1177/0896920515583538
Bienvenu, F. (2018) Making African civil society work: assessing conditions for democratic state-society relations in Rwanda. Institutional Repository.
Buscher, K. (2018) ‘African cities and violent conflict: the urban dimension of conflict and post-conflict dynamics in Central and Eastern Africa’, Journal of Eastern African Studies, 12(2). doi: 10.1080/17531055.2018.1458399
Campbell, S. and Matanock, A. M. (2021) Weapons of the weak state: how post-conflict states shape international state-building. SSRN.
Dagher, R. (2018) ‘Legitimacy and post-conflict state-building: the undervalued role of performance legitimacy’, Conflict, Security & Development, 18(2), pp. 85-112. doi: 10.1080/14678802.2018.1447860
Fyfe, C. (n.d.) Sierra Leone. Britannica.
Heritage, K. and Tesfayohannes, S. (2020) Post-conflict regime transition in Sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Eritrea and Namibia. ProQuest.
Hoeffler, A. (2019) ‘Post-conflict stabilization in Africa’, Review of Development Economics, 23(3), pp. 1238-1259. doi: 10.1111/rode.12601
Nyokabi, J. K., Ikpe, E. and Alao, A. (2017) Building the state without peace or making peace without the state: a baseline study on the paradox of state-building and peace-building in Sierra Leone. IDRC CRDI.
Rabaia, I. S. I., Kheng, Y. K. and Tumin, M. B. (2019) ‘State building in post-conflict zones: lessons from Palestine and Kosovo’, International Journal of Ethics and Systems, 35(2), pp. 162–178. doi: 10.1108/IJOES-02-2017-0031
Sweet, R. (2021) ‘Peacebuilding as state building? Lessons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo’, in McNamee, T. and Muyangwa, M. (eds.) The state of peacebuilding in Africa. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 295-320.
Tom, P. (2017) Liberal peace and post-conflict peacebuilding in Africa. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Villalón, L. A. and Idrissa, R. (2020) Democratic struggle, institutional reform, and state resilience in the African Sahel. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Visoka, G. and Richmond, O. (2017) ‘After liberal peace? From failed state-building to an emancipatory peace in Kosovo’, International Studies Perspectives, 18(1), pp. 110–129. doi: 10.1093/isp/ekw006