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Reassessing private military and security company (PMSC) ‘competition‘ in civil war: lessons from Sierra Leone

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  • Christopher M. Faulkner
  • Joshua E. Lambert
  • Jonathan M. Powell

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher M. Faulkner & Joshua E. Lambert & Jonathan M. Powell, 2019. "Reassessing private military and security company (PMSC) ‘competition‘ in civil war: lessons from Sierra Leone," Small Wars and Insurgencies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(3), pages 641-659, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:fswixx:v:30:y:2019:i:3:p:641-659
    DOI: 10.1080/09592318.2019.1601869
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