Role of the Military during Disasters and Pandemics

It is a common misconception that the heightened visibility of soldiers in the public arena is a sign of political instability and unrest. Indeed, especially on the African continent where the pages of post-colonial history are dominated by accounts of military coups, one dominant argument that still persists (mainly from academics and members of civil society), is that military involvement in domestic affairs runs counter to democratic control of the military. It is further argued that since the military's primary training is associated with the use of force, they must be accordingly removed from functions not in consonant with these skills, which are better performed by civilian actors.

However, while it is true that a military is a heavily armed and highly organized force primarily intended for warfare, war is not by any means its only raison d'être. The evolving nature and the complexities of human security, especially in the 21st century, have demanded that the military conducts different types of operations and activities all covered in what is now known as the 'Range of Military Operations (ROMO)'. As a result, viewing modern day African armies entirely through post-colonial lenses has not only become academically tired, but is a frightening extreme attitude that is completely inconsistent with the notion of liberal democracy. Moreover, it neither generates good theory for approaching current issues nor expandable concepts for shaping future debates. In this article I shall discuss the critical role that the military plays and can play during emergencies such as natural disasters and pandemics.

Historically, the post-Cold War era saw an increased use of the military for operations short of war including disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. Even on the African continent, where the relationship between state governments and their armed forces had been precarious to say the least, the majority of Africa's leaders did not shun away from leveraging the military in their national building agendas. For instance, as early as 1962, Ghanaian Defence Minister Kofi Baako maintained that, 'while there was peace, soldiers should [help] in the war on poverty, ignorance, disease and other [emergencies] which militate against advancement'. In the case of Zambia, during the First and Second Republics (1964-1991), the co-ordination of response to emergencies fell under the Contingency Planning Unit (established 1966) under the then Office of the Prime Minister. The Unit was later replaced by an ad hoc Committee comprising four key ministries, that is; Health, Agriculture, Energy and Water Development and Community Development. However, incoherence among Committee members and tendency to work in isolation led to duplication of tasks, wastage of resources and unnecessary bureaucratic delays. Consequently, in 1994, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) was established under the Officer of the Vice President. In 2005, the National Disaster Management Policy was released and later in April 2010, the Disaster Management Act was enacted. Unlike before, the National Disaster Management Policy stipulated that 'the DMMU [may] utilize existing capabilities available in both civil and military institutions, retired skilled personnel, and any other available resources to respond to disasters'.

So why is the military critical to disaster relief and other types of emergencies such as pandemics? To begin with, it goes without saying that when disaster strikes, response must be rapid, coordinated and decisive. Unlike any other state institution, quick response, coordinated action and decisiveness are the hallmark of a professional Army. Thus, during disasters and pandemics, the military has a pool of ready manpower that can be mobilized at short notice to help curb a crisis and restore security and public order. For instance, during the Lusaka Cholera outbreak (October 2017 to April 2018) which saw over 3,635 cases and 78 deaths by the end of January 2018, the military was quickly deployed to escalate efforts aimed at curbing the outbreak and cleaning up the City. Further, the military has other critical resources which include; vehicles and planes for delivering logistics such as relief food and medicines, as well as engineers, teachers, medical and other skilled personnel that can assist in providing different kinds of emergency services.

All in all, mobilizing the military during disasters, pandemics and other emergencies is not meant to replace or circumvent other civilian sectors but rather to alleviate pressure on other institutions, to make a positive contribution and to help save lives. During emergencies and crises, all state institutions must work collaboratively. Therefore, regardless of the debate surrounding military involvement, during emergencies, it is simply not responsible to theorize and allow any available resources to go unused while people are dying. Military involvement not only helps relieve suffering, it promotes Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) and reassures the public that the state is fully engaged and all available resources are being mobilized to serve the public interest.