How Private Military Companies Affect Modern Africa

The prevalence of mercenaries in African warfare has been continual since the first Portuguese slavers set foot in South-West Africa 500 years ago. It is difficult to find a war in Africa, especially post-World War Two, where mercenaries were not employed by at least one side, if not both. With the growth of professionalized military companies and the loss of political will to deploy conventional forces by Western countries, the usage of mercenaries is only going to increase. This growth is leading to studies about the ethical, economic, and political applications and ramifications regarding private military companies and their future use in Africa. This literature review examines policy experts#39; and political scientists#39; research†¦show more content†¦Independent variables included competition among PMCs and resource compensation. Control variables included ethnic fractionalization, mountainous terrain, proportion of forces, gross domestic product, and levels of governmental and rebel support. The empirical research concluded two findings. If only a single PMC is hired, it is more likely to underperform and prolong civil war and if multiple PMCs intervene in an ongoing civil war it is more likely to be terminated.4 For example, if six PMCs intervene in the sixth year of a civil war, it is at least 2.5 times more likely to be terminated than if one PMC is operating in the same battle space.5 Similarly to Akcinaroglu and Radziszewski findings is research conducted by Ulrich Petersohn.6 In a 2015 article titled â€Å"Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs), Military Effectiveness, and Conflict Severity in Weak States, 1990 – 2007,† Petersohn uses empirical data to find the differences between the kinds of PMCs services offered, for example logistics versus direct combat engagement, and how they affect weak or falling states. Petersohn writes that most of this field of study thinks that PMCs adversely affect the states they are contracted to assist. â€Å"A common view is that PMSCs are menaces who simply take economic advantage of—and thereby aggravate—already bad situations.†7 Petersohn’sShow MoreRelatedThe Future Of Signal : Egypt1620 Words   |  7 PagesSIGNAL 1 THE FUTURE OF SIGNAL IN EGYPT SCCC 009-14 MAJOR HESHAM AHMED 09 Oct 2014 THE FUTURE OF SIGNAL 2 Egypt was and still occupies a distinguished place in terms of geography between Europe and the Far East in the heart of the modern world, but historically it has been her leadership in pace with the development of civilization and for most of the countries around it, especially in the telecommunications and radio filed although it did not to participate in this cultural renaissanceRead MoreGlobalization, Privatization, and Militarization: Impacts on Criminal Justice1717 Words   |  7 Pages The ideas of globalization can be traced essentially back to the origins of man when they began to move from equatorial Africa. 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