Authors : Joseph Nylander

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 9 - September

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/wdffvr6s

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/b2dk5ef3

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25sep125

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Note : Google Scholar may take 30 to 40 days to display the article.

Abstract : Sierra Leone, a nation that has made remarkable strides in post-conflict peacebuilding and state reconstruction, stands at a critical juncture. While its Security Sector Reform (SSR) process has been lauded as a relative success in establishing democratic governance over traditional security forces, the dawn of the digital age presents a new, complex, and pervasive frontier of threats. This article argues that the future stability and sustainable peace of Sierra Leone are intrinsically linked to the successful integration of cybersecurity into its ongoing SSR framework. The digital realm is no longer a peripheral concern but a central arena where economic stability, social cohesion, and state sovereignty are contested. Failure to incorporate a robust cybersecurity posture into the nation's security architecture risks rendering previous SSR gains vulnerable and exposing the state to a new generation of hybrid threats. This paper analyzes the specific cyber threat landscape confronting Sierra Leone, evaluates its current cybersecurity capacity, and proposes a multi-pillar strategic framework for embedding cybersecurity within the core tenets of its security sector. This framework emphasizes holistic governance, institutional capacity building, strategic public-private partnerships, enhanced international cooperation, and a rights-respecting approach to digital security. The article concludes that by proactively treating cyberspace as a critical domain of national security, Sierra Leone can not only protect its hard-won peace but also leverage digital transformation as a catalyst for socio-economic development, thereby securing its position as a resilient and forward-looking West African nation.

Keywords : Cybersecurity, Security Sector Reform (SSR), Sierra Leone, Peacebuilding, National Security, Cybercrime, Digital Transformation, Hybrid Threats.

References :

1. Baker, B., & May, R. (2004). Reconstructing the Security Sector in Sierra Leone. Africa Spectrum, 39(1), 59-72.
2. Ball, N. (2010). The Evolution of the Security Sector Reform Agenda. In M. Sedra (Ed.), The Future of Security Sector Reform. Centre for International Governance Innovation.
3. Brzoska, M. (2003). Development Donors and the Concept of Security Sector Reform. Occasional Paper No. 4. Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF).
4. Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA). (2021). State of Internet Freedom in Sierra Leone 2021. CIPESA.
5. Gagliardone, I. (2019). The Politics of Disinformation in the Global South: A Case Study of Sierra Leone. London School of Economics and Political Science.
6. Government of Sierra Leone. (2021). The Cyber Security and Crime Act, 2021. The Sierra Leone Gazette.
7. Hänggi, H., & Scherrer, V. (Eds.). (2007). Security Sector Reform and UN Integrated Missions: Experience from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Sierra Leone. Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF).
8. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2007). OECD DAC Handbook on Security System Reform (SSR): Supporting Security and Justice. OECD Publishing.
9. Tchakounte, T. (2022). Cybersecurity in Africa: A Comprehensive Overview. In T. Tchakounte (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Cybersecurity in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan.