As the Security Council and the Secretary-General have stated on several occasions, security sector reform (SSR) remains a major condition for durable peace in West Africa. The situation in Guinea is yet another illustration of how the defense and security sector are key to stabilizing the country, both because of its still predominant political role and the potentially explosive tensions prevailing within the security architecture. In Guinea and elsewhere, therefore, security sector reform has become a priority area for UNOWA’s conflict prevention efforts. Its SSR strategy is directed at supporting and advising ECOWAS on the one hand and ensuring that the United Nations approach to SSR in West Africa is harmonized on the other hand.