American Private Military Companies Are Poised to Become Major Players in Africa’s Security Landscape

In recent years, private military companies (PMCs), especially those from the United States, have increasingly reentered the African security scene. Driven by fragile states, renewed conflicts, resource wealth, and gaps in security capacity, this resurgence is being shaped by deals, public statements, and high-profile projects. With major figures like Erik Prince and firms with U.S. origins stepping forward again, the near future looks set for a new wave of American PMC involvement in Africa.

Driving Demand

Currently, there are more than thirty-five non-international armed conflicts burning quietly or violently at once across the African continent. From the brutal insurgency in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado to the uneasy rebellions in Mali, Sudan, and the Central African Republic, many natio