The impact of the private security industry on peace-building efforts in Africa : an assessment of Executive Outcomes, MPRI and DynCorp

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence and rapid growth of the private security industry in the 1990s followed fromthe downsizing of the armed forces in the aftermath of the Cold War and the development ofnew security threats which increased demand for military manpower and expertise. This hasled to a redefinition of security strategies and the restructuring of armed forces by Westerngovernments, which has resulted in the elimination of non-core activities from the functionsof many armed forces. Recently it has been argued that the private security industry canchallenge what previously was believed to be a primary responsibility of states, namely totake on peacebuilding initiatives and support to other peace operations.This study seeks to assess the impact of the private security industry in peacebuilding effortsin African conflicts. The study suggests that the private security industry have taken on amuch stronger role in conflicts world wide since the 1990s, and that its activities havesignificantly changed. Companies such as MPRI and DynCorp have managed to keep closecontact with their home governments, which arguably has been a crucial factor to theirgrowing business. Furthermore, the private security industry have sought to distance itselffrom the negative connotations associated with mercenaries and the activities of companiessuch as Executive Outcomes in the 1990s, by avoiding operations involving elements of directcombat. This has been illustrated through the extensive case study of the activities of threeprivate military and security companies: Executive Outcomes, MPRI and DynCorp.Furthermore, this thesis has confirmed an increased presence of the United States on theAfrican continent post-9/11, illustrated by the presence of American-based private militaryand security companies which arguably are being used as proxies for US foreign policypurposes.Furthermore, this study has discussed the various implications the private security industryhas on the traditional notion of the state's monopoly on the legitimate use of force. This thesishas argued that the legitimate use to exercise violence is in the process of devolution fromgovernments to other actors, which the extensive growth of the private security industryillustrates. Additionally, it has been argued that the privatisation of military and securityservices can harm the reliable delivery of essential services in conflict. Furthermore, thefindings of this thesis has highlighted the dilemma that many countries do not want stricterregulation or elimination of the private security industry for the reason that these companies are viewed as valuable assets in fulfilling foreign policy objectives that for various reasonscannot be fulfilled by national armies.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University