| ID | 167191 |
| Title Proper | Reassessing private military and security company (PMSC) ‘competition‘ in civil war: lessons from Sierra Leone |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Faulkner, Christopher M |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This paper challenges recent claims that competitive market dynamics incentivize Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) to fully commit to providing effective services, thereby reducing the duration of civil war. Our assessment of a most-likely case scenario for this argument – Sierra Leone – reveals four critical problems. First, there is rarely direct competition, even if numerous companies are present. Second, the presence of multiple PMSCs usually represents a collaboration among subsidiaries providing distinct services, often under the same corporate umbrella. Third, data aggregation obfuscates the overlap of PMSC presence, inflating the amount of perceived competition. Finally, we raise concerns regarding how quantitative analyses can conflate conflict intensity with conflict termination. |
| `In' analytical Note | Small Wars and Insurgencies Vol. 30, No.3; Jun 2019: p.641-659 |
| Journal Source | Small Wars and Insurgencies Vol: 30 No 3 |
| Key Words | Africa ; Third-Party Intervention ; Conflict Duration ; Private Military and Security Companies ; Civil War |