Private security and government forces patrolling the Niger Delta
The Project
Research Description
One
of the most striking developments of the past decade has been the massive
expansion and globalisation of the private security sector. World-wide, the
private security services market is valued at US$ 85 billion and has an annual
growth rate of 6-8%. To date, however, the increasing privatisation and
globalisation of security has gone largely unrecognised in the study of
international politics, and while considerable scholarly attention has been
devoted to the role of mercenaries and private military companies, the impact of
the privatisation of day-to-day security services has received considerably less
empirical and theoretical analysis. Situating these developments in the context
of globalisation and late modernity, this project examines the changing
relationships between global and local actors, public and private authority and
emerging structures of security governance.
The
parallel process of privatisation and globalisation is of particular importance
in developing countries, where the unwillingness and/or inability of the state
to provide security have long been sources of concern. This project examines the
impact of security privatisation in sub-Saharan Africa. How is legitimacy and
stability in weak states affected when the core public good of security is
delivered by private, sometimes transnational, actors rather than the state? Who
is secured, or rendered less secure, by these developments? What is driving this
process of privatisation and globalisation, and does it promise greater security
or insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa? Through
an in-depth examination of the private security sector and its involvement in
four African countries (Kenya, Nigeria Sierra Leone and South Africa), this
project assesses the political and security implications of private security for
developing countries and for policy-making in developed states.
While
the privatisation of security is driven primarily by market imperatives, its
impact is often highly political and its implications for development, state
authority and social stability vary between countries where the state is either
unwilling and/or unable to provide security and those where the state is
stronger and more able to perform security functions. In the latter case, the
private sector often acts as an adjunct to state security, reinforcing its
powers. In weak states, by contrast, the growing role of private security may
further erode the authority of the state, as key security functions are
privately provided and citizens no longer identify the state as the primary
guarantor of safety. In this sense, the emergence of a market in security
services may have an impact on state legitimacy. Private security may also
influence social cohesion. When security is a commodity, available only to those
who can pay, it may lead to a situation where sections of society- whether
individuals, communities or enterprises- exist in significant ways separately
from the state and from the security conditions of society as a whole.
Conversely, it is possible that the availability of private security might
facilitate a greater concentration and effectiveness of public resources, hence
enhancing the overall provision of security.
1.
The research contributes towards developing a theoretical framework for
understanding the role of private security in late modernity and emerging
structures of global governance. By broadening the agenda of security studies to
include local and transnational private security actors and their relationship
to states and civil societies, the study will expand knowledge of how order,
authority and security is increasingly influenced by actors other than the
sovereign state. In this way, the project will contribute to the analysis of
global governance, the evolving dynamics of third world security at the level of
states, societies, and individuals, and to understanding of the relationship
between development and security.
2.
The research assesses the social, political and security impact of
private security in developing countries by examining four specific cases: South
Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Sierra Leone. The
project provides a comprehensive assessment of private security, its role and
contribution in these four countries.
3.
To date, the following policy issues have emerged as particularly crucial
to the development process:
· The relationship between the private security sector and on-going security system reform programmes. While SSR tends to target public security forces, private security in various forms is frequently responsible for the daily security needs of large section of the population. The key role of private security is often ignored in SSR programmes, and it is crucial that it is integrated into a broader analysis of security provision and reform in developing countries.
· The existence or absence of a legislative framework appropriate to making private security a positive contributor to the overall provision of security and development. An unregulated and unsupervised private security sector frequently results in inadequate protection, added insecurity, and the exploitation of labour.
· The relationship between the public police and the private security sector. Effective and regulated co-operation or ‘partnership’ between public and private security actors can enhance the overall provision of security, making the private sector a ‘force multiplier’. Conversely, the lack of formalised co-operation can result in inadequate security and the use of public resources for private protection.
· The impact of private security on social stratification, fragmentation and inequality. Private security is available to paying clients, not to the general public, and in order to prevent increased inequality and social fragmentation, private security needs to be integrated within an overall assessment of a country’s available security resources and expertise.
Financial Support for the Project
The Globalisation of Private Security research project is funded by the New Security Challenges programme of the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK (ESRC). The New Security Challenges programme was launched in 2003, and aims to promote research into security which builds upon, but moves beyond, the traditional preoccupation with military conflict between states. By supporting innovative research, the programme seeks to define a more comprehensive agenda to meet the security challenges of the twenty-first century.
Dr R. Abrahamsen & Professor M.C. Williams · University of Wales Aberystwyth, 2005