Somalia as a market for private military and security companies: definitions, agents and services

Abstract

The current academic debate around private military and security companies (PMSCs) is intense and without consensus, starting with definitions. There is still no agreement on the question of what a PMSC is. In order to establish a comprehensive conceptual framework, this study examined the different definitions and identified divergences and convergences. This allowed us to propose definitions in order to contribute to the academic debate. It worked as a fundamental tool in the characterisation and comprehension of the object of the study. The general goal of this research is to make a contribution to the study of the privatization of security in Africa. In specific terms, the study looks to understand the PMSCs’ dynamics and areas of intervention in the Horn of Africa region by analysing the types of clients and services provided.