4. Private Actors in Security Governance Flashcards
(35 cards)
def of global security assemblages
hybrid networks involving state and non-state actors, technologies, norms, and values. They operate globally but often function within national contexts.
-> Example:
The U.S. military campaign in Iraq and Afghanistan involved a mix of national armed forces, private contractors (e.g. Blackwater/Xe/Academi), NGOs, multinational companies (e.g. Halliburton), and technological tools (drones, surveillance systems)—all operating together across borders.
def of priavte military company (PMC)
Offers offensive services such as engaging in combat.
ex: Wagner Group – Russian-linked PMC involved in combat operations in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine.
def Private Military and Security Company (PMSC)
Combines both defensive and offensive capabilities.
Ex: DynCorp International – provides training for foreign military forces, protection of officials, and has been involved in security operations in Afghanistan and Iraq
def mercenaries
Individuals who engage in conflict primarily for personal gain, often lacking the regulation or accountability of formal PMSCs.
Example: In 1970s Africa, soldiers like “Mad Mike” Hoare were hired to fight in conflicts such as the Congo Crisis, purely for profit and with little accountability.
def Private security companies (PSC)
Offers defensive services like guarding assets or people.
ex: G4S (now part of Allied Universal) – provides guards for airports, embassies, and banks; does not engage in combat
who are PMSCs
Typically staffed by ex-military or police personnel.
Involved in logistical support (construction, vehicle maintenance, base operations).
Known as Privatized Military Firms (PMFs)—essentially businesses offering warfare-related services.
They operate on a spectrum from back-end support to frontline combat.
Western companies, particularly in the US, often provide training, logistics, and combat services abroad.
changing nature of warfare leading to the rise of PMCs
Historical roots: e.g. the British East India Company had its own army to protect trade in colonial India.
Modern rise post-Cold War due to:
Changing nature of warfare (more civil conflicts, fewer interstate wars).
Privatization trends in advanced liberal democracies.
Downsizing of national militaries (e.g., Europe/North America up to 60%).
New global security networks involving both public and private actors.
what are the 2 changing attitudes toward security
*There’s a shift from punishment to prevention/prediction.
*Security is commodified—it’s a service you can buy.
Even international organizations like the EU outsource security tasks:
Guarding missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and DR Congo are handled by private firms.
impact of globalisation on PMCs
Globalization has enabled PMSCs through three key processes:
- Transfer of public functions to private actors (security once managed by states now partly privatized).
-> Citizens become consumers of security services. - Rise of private actors as legitimate security providers.
- Reassembly of governance, where non-state actors (like PMFs) become key players.
Clients include:
Sovereign states
Rebel groups
Drug cartels
Multinational corporations
NGOs
ex of PMSCs in practice in Iraq and Afghanistan (nb of US armed security contractors in each + unofficial estimation)
*In Iraq, the number of U.S. armed security contractors:
-Grew from 5,481 (2007) to 13,232 (2010).
*In Afghanistan, armed private security personnel:
-Increased from 4,000 (March 2009) to over 16,000 (March 2010).
*These numbers reflect only U.S.-contracted personnel.
Unofficial estimates (2010) suggest:
-Over 30,000 armed security guards in Iraq.
-24,000 in Afghanistan
EU main missions (of PMSCs)
The EU hired private security companies to:
Guard the EUPOL HQ in Afghanistan (mission d’appui et de formation de la police en Afghanistan)
Protect the EULEX mission in Kosovo (promouvoir l’état de droit au Kosovo).
Secure the EUPOL mission in the DRC (soutien à la police nationale congolaise).
datas of: employment and size of the global market of the comercial private security sector, and the 2 leading PSCs
*Global market value of the commercial private security sector:
→ $120 billion (approximate).
*Employment figures: Between 19.5 and 25.5 million people work for private security companies worldwide.
*Leading PSCs (Private Security Companies):
-G4S (Group 4 Securicor) – based in the UK, operates globally.
-Securitas AB – Swedish firm, among the largest security providers.
what are the 4 major PMSCs producing countries
United States
United Kingdom
Russia
China
-> These countries are home to some of the most active and influential private military and security companies (PMSCs) and are key exporters of private security services.
are PMSCs a threat to the power (traditional role of the state vS reconfiguration?)
*The Traditional Role of the State
Historically, providing security for its citizens was seen as a core function of the sovereign state.
This monopoly on the legitimate use of force (as Max Weber defined it) was central to state authority.
*A Challenge or a Reconfiguration?
The rise of PMSCs raises concerns about a loss of state control over force and violence.
However, many scholars argue this isn’t a sign of state failure, but rather a reconfiguration:
-Security governance is now decentralized, involving both public and private actors.
-The state remains central, but delegates or contracts some functions to private firms.
-Security becomes a commodity, purchased on the market like any other service
what are the PMC activities by regions: Africa
Angola: Over 80 private firms involved during its civil war.
DR Congo: PMSCs active in guarding mining and infrastructure.
Senegal and Namibia: Reports of firms working for rebel groups.
what are the PMC activities by regions: Europe
PMSCs involved in conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo.
EU institutions, such as EULEX in Kosovo and offices in Belgium, hire private security.
Industry organized under the Confederation of European Security Services.
what are the PMC activities by regions: Asia
Sandline International intervened in Papua New Guinea (1997).
Other examples: Taiwan, Nepal, Cambodia, Burma, and Indonesia.
Services include guarding infrastructure, government buildings, and diplomats.
what are the PMC activities by regions: post soviet space
Post-Soviet Space
Russia’s Alpha firm, active in Chechnya and Georgia.
Russia now promotes larger PMCs like Wagner as geopolitical tools.
US PMC model
Home to major PMSCs like Blackwater/Academi, DynCorp, and KBR.
Services include:
Combat support
Training local forces
Logistics and equipment handling
Protection of personnel and convoys
Played a major role in Iraq and Afghanistan, filling gaps left by U.S. troop reductions.
U.S. companies are experienced, well-funded, and operate relatively freely.
=/ than China PMC model
Newcomer to the PMSC space, especially active since the 2000s.
PSCs (e.g., Frontier Services Group) are often composed of ex-police or PLA personnel, but lack battlefield experience.
Operate under tight state control—used as tools of statecraft, especially to protect Chinese economic interests.
the Belt road Initiative (BRI) and security
The BRI is China’s global infrastructure plan, spanning Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe.
By 2020, BRI included 139 countries, 39% of global GDP, and 60% of the world’s population.
Chinese PSCs operate in Central Asia, Africa, and parts of South Asia to protect BRI assets (pipelines, railroads, ports).
These PSCs are now more present abroad than the Chinese military, except in Europe.
central ethical and legal question in debates about PMSCs:
Can a Profit-Driven Company Be Trusted to Uphold Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Conflict Zones?
-> These companies operate for profit, not principle. Their primary obligation is to clients, not to human rights frameworks or international law.
-> In conflict zones where the rule of law is weak, accountability mechanisms are often nonexistent or ineffective.
-> Documented abuses (e.g., the 2007 Blackwater shooting in Iraq) highlight major risks when armed private actors operate with limited oversight.
-> Critics warn that profit motives may lead companies to cut corners, overstep mandates, or engage in destructive behavior to please clients or increase income.
post CW limitations of peace and stability operations
After the Cold War, the nature of conflict shifted from interstate war to civil wars and intrastate violence (e.g., Rwanda, Sierra Leone).
UN peace operations struggled to adapt. They:
-Relied on voluntary troop contributions.
-Lacked rapid deployment capability.
-Were weakened by the political unwillingness of Western states.
-Failed in major crises: Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda.
after post CW era, decline in outside intervention
*Great powers (e.g., the U.S. and France) lost interest in interventions that didn’t serve core national interests.
*After the Somalia intervention (1993) and the Black Hawk Down incident, the U.S. was highly reluctant to put troops at risk
*The UN’s credibility suffered:
-UN peacekeeping troops dropped from 82,000 to just 1,000 in 1999.
-“An Agenda for Peace” (1992) called for more robust peace enforcement—but it never materialized.
