Post-confl ict reconstruction and peacebuilding

This seminar report, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies, documents a two-day event held in September 2010 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The seminar brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to critically examine the nature of post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding, specifically questioning the 'liberal peace' model and its practical implementation in Africa.

• The 'liberal peace' model is criticized from both the political Left and Right. Leftist critics argue it serves as a "cover for maintaining existing global power relations" and reproduces "inequalities and relationships of subordination." Conservative critics question if liberal frameworks are exportable, suggesting that building institutions should precede democratization to avoid "legitimising elected warlords."
• Peacebuilding in Africa is often influenced by a post-September 2001 security agenda, leading to the "militarisation of peacebuilding and the securitisation of development." There is a concern that the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) relies on borrowed ideas that have not been adequately critiqued, potentially prioritizing the needs of "outsiders" over the people of the continent.
• International peacebuilding efforts are frequently characterized by a top-down approach that relies on "blueprint" strategies, which often ignore local contexts and the actual interests of regional actors. This creates a gap where peacebuilding is effectively an "externally driven exercise in statebuilding and social engineering."
• The implementation of Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) often fails due to a lack of focus on the reintegration phase and a failure to address economic root causes. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, armed groups were not fully dissolved because of "poor development and a failure to deliver on education and training packages," leaving former officers as influential political actors.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), specifically the Ituri region, DDR processes have been undermined by "continuous re-recruitment of combatants" and the influence of "warlord economies" and mineral wealth. The report notes that DDR cannot be successfully conducted in an insecure environment without a concomitant focus on Security Sector Reform (SSR).
• The incorporation of non-state armed groups into government in Côte d’Ivoire led to a "militarisation of politics and increasing populism in political rhetoric," creating separate elites in the north and south. The report warns against a policy of "peace at all costs" which may create new hegemonic structures.
• In Afghanistan, tensions exist between contradictory objectives, such as the "cooptation of warlords and legitimate democratic processes." The report argues that donor-managed aid denies local authorities ownership and that attempting to "reverse engineer" the Western European state formation process is impossible.
• Donor coordination in post-conflict settings is often fragmented, with donors prioritizing their own preferences over the requirements of beneficiaries. Examples from Liberia include the provision of computers in police stations where "no electricity was available" and the import of furniture that was "technologically too advanced" to be repaired locally.
• The report identifies a "coordination dilemma" where technical experts often replace political decision-makers, leading to a lack of accountability. It suggests that "human messengers" traveling between headquarters and the field are necessary to reduce the risk of field practitioners sabotaging strategic options they do not share.

APA

Cornwell, R., Roberts, M., & Ellermann, R. (2010). Post-confl ict reconstruction and peacebuilding. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ISSLanzeracReportSep2010.pdf

Chicago

Cornwell, Richard, Melanie Roberts, and Ralph Ellermann. Post-confl ict reconstruction and peacebuilding. Institute for Security Studies, 2010. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ISSLanzeracReportSep2010.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cornwell |first1=Richard |last2=Roberts |first2=Melanie |last3=Ellermann |first3=Ralph |title=Post-confl ict reconstruction and peacebuilding |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2010 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ISSLanzeracReportSep2010.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cornwell2010postconfl, author = {Cornwell, Richard and Roberts, Melanie and Ellermann, Ralph}, title = {{Post-confl ict reconstruction and peacebuilding}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2010}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ISSLanzeracReportSep2010.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }