A Senior Lecturer / Researcher
Centre for Peace and Security Studies
Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola, Adamawa State, Dr. Chris Kwaja has spoken on Challenge of Managing Private Sector Involvement in Peace and Security in West Africa in a Presentation at the African Good Governance Network (AGGN), West Africa Regional Meeting on Security, Democracy and Governance in West Africa: Lessons, Challenges and Prospects, Abuja, Nigeria, 24th November 2017.

Extract of the presentation is as shown below:

The Challenge of Managing Private Sector
Involvement in Peace and Security in West
Africa: What Options for Security Sector
Governance?

Chris Kwaja, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer / Researcher
Centre for Peace and Security Studies
Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola,
Adamawa State, Nigeria
[email protected]
+234-803-6054165

Structure

-Introduction / Background.
-Private Sector Involvement in West Africa’s Peace
and Security Conundrum.

-Categorisation of PMSCs and Vigilantes in Military
and Security related Provisioning.

-Challenges of Private Sector Involvement in Peace
and Security in West Africa.

-Take Home Messages on Private Sector
Involvement in Peace and Security in West Africa.

-Outlook for the Future: Whither the Private Sector?

-Conclusion.

Introduction:

The spate of conflicts and violence in West Africa in the last
four decades necessitated the proliferation of peace support
operations – Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali among others.

The private sector were contracted to provide various forms
of assistance – military and security related, which can be
combat and non-combat.

Private sector involvement is reflective of a global trend in
security privatisation, whereby privately owned security
entities exists.

The private sector operations are unregulated, particularly for PMCs.

Despite the dominance of the private security in the peace and security landscape of the region, the current architecture
at the national and regional levels, do not recognise this.

Private Sector Involvement in West
Africa’s Peace and Security Conundrum.

-PMSCs are seen as convenient force multipliers of
enablers.

-Reliance on the PMSCs is attributed to their affordability,
capability and flexibility.

-The failure of the formal security institutions of the state to
protect, particularly in communities, makes vigilantism a
viable option.

-Across the region, vigilantes operate outside the formal
state security structure, with no funding or control.

-While PSCs operate in the cities, vigilantes are found in the communities where formal security provisioning is either weak or absent.

Private Sector Involvement in West
Africa’s Peace and Security Conundrum

-PMSCs are seen as convenient force multipliers of
enablers.

-Reliance on the PMSCs is attributed to their affordability,
capability and flexibility.

-The failure of the formal security institutions of the state to
protect, particularly in communities, makes vigilantism a
viable option.

-Across the region, vigilantes operate outside the formal
state security structure, with no funding or control.

-While PSCs operate in the cities, vigilantes are found in the communities where formal security provisioning is
either weak or absent.

Categorising PMSC s and Vigilantes in Military
and Security Related Provisioning (Contd)

-PMSCs contributed to conflict dynamics in
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in terms
of capital flights, resource exploitation and proliferation of weapons.

-Liberia’s privatised SSR as part of the post conflict peacebuilding saw the involvement
of Dyncorp and PAE.
MPRI was contracted to audit and
strengthen the army in Ghana and Nigerian.

Challenges of Private Sector Involvement
in Peace and Security in West Africa

• Across the region, while there are regulations on PSCs, such
does not exist for PMCs and vigilantes.
• Dealing with unintended consequences – mercenarism,
vested interests in resource exploitation and arms
proliferation.
• Lack of transparency and accountability that characterise
their activities – DynCorp and PAE in Liberia.
• Human security concerns associated with violation of human
rights.
• The use of jungle justice by vigilantes without recourse to the
formal security and justice system.
• The role played by the private sector brings to bear, the issue
of contested legitimacy between state and non-state security
providers.

Take Home Messages

-A central challenge for governance in West Africa has
too do with coming to terms with the reality of the privatisation of security, as evident in private sector
involvement in military and security provisioning.

-Private sector involvement in peace and security
highlights the huge capacity of the private sector in
terms of expertise, response and deployment capacity,
and specialized equipment for containing emergencies.

-There is a strong link between natural resource and private sector involvement in peace and security (Sierra
Leone is a key example).

-PMSCs and vigilantes will continue to play central roles in peace and security in West Africa (they have come to stay).

Outlook for the Future and Options for Security
Sector Governance

-There will be an increase in private sector involvement in peace and security – the need to strengthen mechanisms for monitoring of their activities.

-Civil society involvement in monitoring the activities of
the private sector is critical – civil society working groups with emphasis on international human rights and humanitarian laws.

-The governance of the security sector should recognise the reality of the existence and activities of the private
sector.

-Synergy between the governments and the private
sector will help in terms bridging the gap associated
with the capacity deficits in undertaking complex
operations such as aviation, construction and maintenance of equipment.

Conclusion

-Due to the huge security vacuum that exist in West
Africa, which need to be filled, PMSCs and
vigilantes will continue to provide critical services
that supports stability in the region.

-While leveraging on the positive sides of their
activities, the negative sides of their activities
should be effectively dealt with from the
perspective of security sector governance.

Thank You For Listening

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Dr. Chris Kwaja Speaks on Challenge of Managing Private Sector Involvement in Peace and Security in West Africa