Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence and rapid growth of the private security industry in the 1990s followed from
the downsizing of the armed forces in the aftermath of the Cold War and the development of
new security threats which increased demand for military manpower and expertise. This has
led to a redefinition of security strategies and the restructuring of armed forces by Western
governments, which has resulted in the elimination of non-core activities from the functions
of many armed forces. Recently it has been argued that the private security industry can
challenge what previously was believed to be a primary responsibility of states, namely to
take on peacebuilding initiatives and support to other peace operations.
This study seeks to assess the impact of the private security industry in peacebuilding efforts
in African conflicts. The study suggests that the private security industry have taken on a
much stronger role in conflicts world wide since the 1990s, and that its activities have
significantly changed. Companies such as MPRI and DynCorp have managed to keep close
contact with their home governments, which arguably has been a crucial factor to their
growing business. Furthermore, the private security industry have sought to distance itself
from the negative connotations associated with mercenaries and the activities of companies
such as Executive Outcomes in the 1990s, by avoiding operations involving elements of direct
combat. This has been illustrated through the extensive case study of the activities of three
private military and security companies: Executive Outcomes, MPRI and DynCorp.
Furthermore, this thesis has confirmed an increased presence of the United States on the
African continent post-9/11, illustrated by the presence of American-based private military
and security companies which arguably are being used as proxies for US foreign policy
purposes.
Furthermore, this study has discussed the various implications the private security industry
has on the traditional notion of the state’s monopoly on the legitimate use of force. This thesis
has argued that the legitimate use to exercise violence is in the process of devolution from
governments to other actors, which the extensive growth of the private security industry
illustrates. Additionally, it has been argued that the privatisation of military and security
services can harm the reliable delivery of essential services in conflict. Furthermore, the
findings of this thesis has highlighted the dilemma that many countries do not want stricter
regulation 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 reasons
cannot be fulfilled by national armies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die opkoms en vinnige groei van die privaatsekuriteitsbedryf in die 1990s was die gevolg van
die afskaling van gewapende magte in die nasleep van die Koue Oorlog en die ontwikkeling
van nuwe sekuriteitsbedreigings, wat die aanvraag na militêre arbeidskragte en kundigheid
verhoog het. Dit het aanleiding gegee tot ’n herdefiniëring van sekuriteitstrategieë en die
herstrukturering van gewapende magte deur Westerse regerings, met die gevolg dat niekernaktiwiteite
van die funksies van talle gewapende magte uitgesluit is. Daar is onlangs
aangevoer dat die privaatsekuriteitsbedryf aanspraak kan maak op ’n funksie wat voorheen as
die primêre verantwoordelikheid van regerings beskou is, naamlik om vredesinisiatiewe en
steun aan ander vredesverrigtinge te onderneem.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om die impak van die privaatsekuriteitsbedryf in
vredesinisiatiewe in Afrika-konflikte te assesseer. Daar word aan die hand gedoen dat die
privaatsekuriteitsbedryf sedert die 1990’s ’n baie groter rol in wêreldwye konflikte gespeel
het, en dat die aktiwiteite van hierdie bedryf aanmerklik verander het. Maatskappye soos
MPRI en DynCorp was suksesvol daarin om nabye kontak met hul tuisregerings te behou, wat
stellig ’n deurslaggewende faktor in hul groeiende besighede was. Voorts het die
privaatsekuriteitsbedryf gepoog om hom te distansieer van die negatiewe konnotasies wat met
huursoldate en die aktiwiteite van maatskappye soos Executive Outcomes in die 1990’s
geassosieer is deur bedrywighede wat elemente van direkte stryd inhou, te vermy. Hierdie
poging is geïllustreer deur die omvattende gevallestudie van die aktiwiteite van drie privaat
militêre en sekuriteitsmaatskappye: EO, MPRI en DynCorp. Die bevindinge van die studie
bevestig voorts die Verenigde State van Amerika (VSA) se toenemende teenwoordigheid op
die Afrika-vasteland ná 9/11, wat duidelik blyk uit die teenwoordigheid van Amerikaansgebaseerde
privaat militêre en sekuriteitsmaatskappye wat stellig as volmag gebruik word vir
die VSA se buitelandsebeleidsdoelstellings.
Die verskeie implikasies van die privaatsekuriteitsbedryf vir die tradisionele siening van die
regerings se monopolie ten opsigte van die wettige gebruik van magte word ook in die studie
bespreek. Daar word aangevoer dat die wettige gebruik van geweld in die proses van
devolusie is vanaf regerings na ander rolspelers, wat deur die omvattende groei van die
privaatsekuriteitsbedryf bevestig word. Daar word verder ook beweer dat die privatisering van militêre en sekuriteitsdienste die betroubare lewering van noodsaaklike dienste tydens konflik
kan benadeel. Die studie se bevindinge werp ook lig op die dilemma dat talle lande strenger
regulering of uitskakeling van die privaatsekuriteitsbedryf teëstaan omdat hierdie
maatskappye beskou word as waardevolle bates in die bereiking van
buitelandsebeleidsdoelwitte, wat vir verskeie redes nie deur nasionale leërs bereik kan word
nie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6866 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Holager, Emma |
| Contributors | Swart, Gerrie, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiii, 111 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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