Security is not only about law and order as assumed in the past. Protection of life and property goes beyond simply following, arresting and prosecuting those suspected of infringing the law. States are now required to put human security at the forefront of security concerns.
This means that the welfare of each citizen of a state must become a concern of those who govern. For example, no human being could be secure without a minimum satisfaction of food, shelter, water and the other necessities of life. If a person is deprived of these basic needs, one should not be surprised if the person is engaged in deviant behaviour to make ends meet. The duty to provide the environment to generate reasonable income goes beyond the security apparatus.
However, they are the last port of call to address what may not necessarily be just a law and order problem. This is why the state should work in earnest to safeguard human security in all its dimensions. However, when conflict occurs state should prioritise what it is to do to address immediate security concerns.
Let’s take the recent events as an example. They almost went out of hand in moving from a peaceful protest to a violent confrontation. The state should therefore draw lessons, share it with the public and implement them. Foroyaa will accompany the security apparatus in mapping out the challenges and providing assessments in order to come out with programmes aimed at addressing the challenges.
