ABSTRACT

This chapter interrogates the key issues in the Private military company (PMC) debate. There is a multitude of drivers attributed to creating space for a privatized security and military industry. These drivers/factors include the withdrawal of superpowers after the Cold War and the weakening of the state with regard to fulfilling its social contract, which precipitated changed market forces and led to an increase in market security. The role of PMCs in the African context poses numerous anomalies. More than anywhere else in the world, PMCs have been the most active in Africa owing to the frequency and number of conflicts. PMCs may create temporary security, but their ability to build a long-term 'democratically legitimate security apparatus remains doubtful'. To date, none of the PMCs have demonstrated an ability 'to provide anything but short and localized respites of conflict'.