Privatization of Wars and The Impact of Private Military and Security Companies On the Security and Sovereignty of States

Abstract

The privatization of war is a relatively new idea. It is based on a new strategy for managing wars by many countries, based on fighting with the smallest possible number of regular soldiers, while entrusting logistical and some intelligence tasks to private military and security companies. This aims to reduce the increasing military spending of regular armies and alleviate the burden of human losses, which are widely rejected by public opinion. Furthermore, there is the advantage of utilizing the extensive capabilities and combat experience of private companies to achieve war objectives. Despite these advantages, the negative side of the work and activity of private military and security companies is their failure to adhere to the rules of international humanitarian law in conflict zones due to the lack of international agreements regulating their cross-border activities. These companies often impose their agendas and conditions on the governments in which they operate, particularly weak ones, and impose military plans that align with their own objectives. This contradicts the sovereignty of states, as the entity that monopolizes the use of violence.