From regime security to human security : Arab spring and security sector reform

Abstract

On 17th June 2011, in response to the Arab Spring events in neighbouring countries, King Mohamed VI of Morocco presented in a speech, reform proposals focusing on constitutional changes. Significantly, in his speech the King insisted that appointments in the military ‘remain an exclusive, sovereign prerogative of the King, Supreme Commander and Chief-of-Staff of the Royal Armed Forces’, while officials in charge of inter alia domestic security agencies will be appointed by him on a proposal of the Head of Government and at the initiative of the ministers concerned. Thus, Morocco’s ruler, who has pursued domestic reforms in the past, and has been hailed for his response to the unrest, stopped short of establishing democratic control of the security sector. This lack of willingness to touch upon the role and powers of the security sector is symptomatic of the regimes of countries in North Africa, that have traditionally relied on the security sector, in particular the military, the police and secret and intelligence services, to shore up their authoritarian or semi-authoritarian rule, and that have focused on regime security rather than human security.