Soldiers of Fortune: A qualitative study into the effects of military provider, Private Military Companies on the domestic sovereignty of fragile African nations

Abstract

The global security environment is rapidly changing and dynamic, presenting an interesting challenge to nation states. This has created an industry for private security in which lower capacity states can increase their force, skills, and expertise on the combat front to effectively defeat an enemy. However, this industry presents a new challenge to the sovereignty of nations as it takes the military, which was previously a state-controlled institution and has opened it up to private influence. This thesis looks to explore whether Private Military Companies that provide direct military combat have a measurable negative impact upon the domestic sovereignty of an already fragile African state. To do this, the thesis first defines domestic sovereignty and the measurable aspects that will be analysed in each of the three case studies. These measurable aspects will be elite fragmentation, the ability to generate revenue from state assets, and territorial control. The three case studies analysed are Sierra Leone, Angola, and Nigeria. The thesis finds that when a nation hires with higher levels of elite fragmentation hires a Private Military Company then measurable negative effects on the nation’s ability to practice domestic sovereignty will occur. Further, the thesis discovers that when a nation with lower levels of elite fragmentation hires a Private Military Company there will be a neutral effect on the nation’s ability to practice domestic sovereignty.