Private Security Companies: Agents of Democracy or Simply Mercenaries?

Abstract

Since the setting up of the first private security companies (PSCs) the term has been synonymous with mercenaries. Such a claim was justified in the early days when there were strong links between these two groups of actors. Watchguard, for example, employed mercenaries to launch a military operation against Qadaffi in 1970 (Hoe 1999: 410). Since then, the industry has changed beyond recognition. Instead of being perceived as guns for hire, many in the international community now recognize that PSCs can make a valuable contribution to international peace and security through training and other areas of expertise. What is emerging today is their integration into strategic complexes that now operate in many parts of the developing world and that are responsible for addressing the democratic deficit found in many weak and failing states. As the chapter explains below, such complexes are made up of governments, international organizations, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), multinational corporations and now PSCs.