Private military and security companies (PMSCs) have been extensively used to provide military and security services in various armed conflicts. Aspects of their use have generated concerns that the personnel of these companies are no more than modern mercenaries. This thesis clarifies the legal regime applicable to such companies in armed conflicts. This regime includes both the legal status and legal regulation of PMSC personnel. The aim of this thesis is not to create a new status for PMSC personnel, but to clarify which of the existing legal statuses adopted by international humanitarian law (IHL) can apply to them. This status relies completely on the actors to whom these companies supply their services, and the sort of mission in which they are involved. This approach is not employed in the literature. Most attention has been paid to the use of PMSCs by States. This is not, however, the only scenario whereby PMSCs become engaged in armed conflicts. PMSCs provide their services to other actors such as the United Nations (UN), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and armed groups. Consequently, one definitive status cannot be applied in all situations. Different types of status can be applied in accordance with the nature of the particular PMSC involvement in armed conflicts. Accordingly, the three statuses established by IHL can apply to PMSC personnel; namely those of “mercenary”, “combatant” and “civilian”. Two environments classify the personnel of PMSCs as mercenaries; this is when they provide their services to a State party to an international armed conflict and to an armed group in non-international armed conflicts. Mercenary status is not applicable to the use of PMSCs in UN peacekeeping operations or providing protection to NGOs, because in both circumstances neither can be considered as a party to an armed conflict. PMSC personnel can be categorised as “combatants” when hired to provide their services to States and when they are used as UN peacekeepers. They are most likely to be classified as “civilians” if they are not “combatants”. There are two types of civilians; “civilians accompanying armed forces of a party to an armed conflict”, and “normal civilians”. The former categorisation only applies in international armed conflict, while the latter can apply to all other PMSC involvement in armed conflicts. Appropriate regulation of PMSCs depends on the legal status of their personnel. Therefore, this thesis asserts that IHL can regulate the activities of PMSCs. Additionally, international human rights law can apply to PMSCs and their personnel.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts of International Relations in the Faculty of Humanities Department of International Relations, Johannesburg 2017 / The growing role of Private Military Companies (P.M.C) has led to a magnitude of security concerns internationally. Due to their past reputation, P.M.Cs have been demonised by the international community in the form of scholars as well as journalists, as their personnel have been misunderstood for mercenaries (De Nevers 2009). It is therefore important to clarify the difference between contractors and mercenaries. However due to the growth of different actors and security threats, Private Military Companies have emerged as an effective alternative solution in engaging non-traditional threats in the international arena, a role states have increasingly failed in. Private Military Companies have become more successful in applying counterinsurgency tactics due to their structural setup, skills and expertise as well as technological advancement and understanding of warfare. This has led to an increase in reliance from states including the United States, Angola, and more recently Nigeria. Through the examination of the Nigerian case study, the thesis paper aims to understand how the P.M.C (S.T.T.E.P) was able to apply its COIN tactics effectively in combating Boko Haram. It is important to examine the Nigerian case study as P.M.C success could possibly be used to combat the proliferation of terrorist manoeuvres such as Al-Shabaab. The Nigerian case is also important as it displays how S.T.T.E.P working together with the N.D.F could strengthen their COIN campaign against Boko Haram. / XL2018

No description available.

This thesis addresses the growing privatization of the US forces through the Revolution in Military Affairs and the War in Iraq and its implications for the purpose of mobilization and individual military commitment conceptualize by the US warrior ethos. Creating a dialogue between the literature on Private Military Companies and the US warrior ethos, this thesis aims at providing a comprehensive understanding of the values sustaining the warrior ethos and how they are jeopardized by the emergence of new actors in the battlespace. I argue that this commercial turn in the US military erode the warrior ethos by placing business consideration ahead of great personal risk and ultimately raises doubts about civic responsibilities and democratic control of US military affairs.

Zugl.: Kiel, Univ., Diss., 2007

No description available.

This thesis addresses the growing privatization of the US forces through the Revolution in Military Affairs and the War in Iraq and its implications for the purpose of mobilization and individual military commitment conceptualize by the US warrior ethos. Creating a dialogue between the literature on Private Military Companies and the US warrior ethos, this thesis aims at providing a comprehensive understanding of the values sustaining the warrior ethos and how they are jeopardized by the emergence of new actors in the battlespace. I argue that this commercial turn in the US military erode the warrior ethos by placing business consideration ahead of great personal risk and ultimately raises doubts about civic responsibilities and democratic control of US military affairs.

This paper deals with the privatisation of security and analyzes its role in US foreign policy. It is composed of four separate sections, two of which are theoretical and the other two analytical. The first chapter presents available definitions and a historical overview explaining the origin and historical development of private military forces' involvement in armed conflicts. The second part assesses the development of the role of private military companies in US foreign policy. The analytical section aims to answer two key questions: (1) which advantages and disadvantages does PMC utilization present the US government with?; and (2) how can we regulate PMC activities, so that their cooperation with the US government both lives up to the client's expectation and satisfies international human-rights norms? The third chapter therefore assesses the main argument for a and against PMC utilization from the perspective of the USA and the fourth analyzes existing regulation frameworks - national, international and self-regulation.

The Master's thesis "Private Military Companies in Africa" deals with the issues of the private military and security companies and their current position in international security relations. The central thesis of this academic publication is the question whether these commercial companies are capable of representing a significant position within the international community and executing extensive operations in conflict resolution and the subsequent transition towards a stable arrangement of the stricken regions. Essentially, the arguments leading to the key objective of this thesis are drawing upon a comparative study of recent activities of PMCs on the African continent, a discursive analysis of the approach towards these private subjects, as well as their international legal status. Consequently, by relying on the gathered information from the aforementioned research, the most substantial section of the text offers basic models of potential widespread use of private military companies in connection with national states and international organizations and explains the benefits resulting from this shift towards privatization of global security. Furthermore, the publication points out specific contemporary cases for the prospective application of PMCs and analyses the space for this industry within the existing international system.

This thesis concentrates on the topic of private military companies in the relation to their activities within conflict resolution in four selected African countries - Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte D'Ivoire. The main goal of this thesis is to chart their activities in three areas - within peacekeeping operations, in peacebuilding and within the efforts to maintain stability - and by comparison of collected data for each case study evaluate within which phase of conflict resolution they operate most frequently. At the same time the attempt of this thesis is to identify services that are desired most during conflict resolution process in Africa and examine the possibility that private military companies came through some changes since 1990. In order to gain relevant data for the comparison, technical texts and collected data analysis is being carried out. Keywords security, private military companies, privatization, peacekeeping, peacebuilding