Historical factors including ethnic and political manipulation of the military by successive political leadership, civil war and post-election crisis have bequeathed Cote d’Ivoire with a factionalized armed forces. There have been efforts by UNOCI and government to reform the armed forces as part of wider Disarmament Demobilization Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR) programmes. The UN mission has since closed its doors after a more than decade operation to help restore peace and stability in Cote d’Ivoire. The country is on track to post-conflict recovery. However, there are lingering tensions within the armed forces, in particular, and the security sector in general, which if not addressed effectively could undermine the stability of the country. This policy brief therefore argues that, transformation of the military to achieve regional representation and professionalism is essential to sustaining civil-military stability.
