Private military companies and regime security: The case of Wagner and Libya

In today's conflicts, the private military companies are important actors which are having expanded their spheres of influence with the increasing globalization and privatization movements after the Cold War. Researchers studying private military companies have classified this field according to the types of services they provide. These companies either institutionalize as a continuation of the mercenary tradition of the past and operate under more flexible or informal structures. While the existence of private military companies is controversial at the level of international law, these companies are today frequently used as a non-state actor by both strong and weak states. This study analyses the activities of Wagner, a frequently mentioned Russian private military company, in Libya within the framework of a regime security approach. Wagner has been a power-maximizing actor in Libya, contributing to the survival of General Haftar's regime. Wagner's operations in Libya to support Haftar aligns with Russian foreign policy's persistent efforts to expand its influence in the Mediterranean. Unlike Western examples, Wagner's activities in Libya act as an extension of Russian foreign policy, demonstrating its status as a persistent state actor. In this context, the regime security approach, which is the theoretical framework of the study, explains the role of Wagner's relationship with Haftar, which creates a power capacity for Haftar's aim to establish his own legitimacy and rule. Key Words: Private Military Companies, Regime Security, Wagner, Libya, Haftar