Understanding the politics of transparency

Security Sector Reform (SSR) is a central element in re-configuring state-society relations after conflict or authoritarian rule. While SSR as a peace­building and democratization instrument has started to include notions of human security beyond hard security, its core goal – creating a trustworthy, accountable security sector – remains grounded in liberal ideals of trans­parency. Using The Gambia’s post-2016 SSR process as a case study, this article examines how trans­parency is produced and what it conceals, arguing that the pursuit of trans­parency creates two mis­conceptions: first, it generates a proliferation of documents, involved actors, and activities that construct a fixed, “as if” vision of reform, stifling societal debate on what is desirable. Second, this “as if” imaginary frames reform as a linear, technical process, de-politicizing the reform process and leaving imple­mentation to experts. Ultimately, such trans­parency serves as lip service to externally shaped, idealized security futures, leaving SSR hidden and un­contestable for the wider public.