ABSTRACT Since the 2003 war in Iraq, private military and security companies (PMSCs) have become increasingly legitimate actors in modern conflicts. Despite this normative shift, rumours in March 2015 regarding the use of South African mercenaries in Nigeria to combat Boko Haram insurgents caused an international outrage, while the Nigerian government remained nonchalantly silent on the matter. This article investigates the impact of mercenaries on the conflict in the last six months of the Jonathan government. Using primary and secondary qualitative research, it assesses the role that PMSCs played in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency strategy, along with the ensuing reaction of international and local media to the outsourcing of violence to foreign companies. The article concludes that – notwithstanding the improved image of PMSCs in the world, and the actual impact of the contractors on the Nigerian counterinsurgency effort – the stigma of mercenaries continues to plague the industry, particularly on the African continent.

中文翻译：

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扭转战局：私营军事和安保公司对尼日利亚打击博科圣地的反叛乱的影响

摘要 自 2003 年伊拉克战争以来，私营军事和安保公司 (PMSC) 已成为现代冲突中日益合法的参与者。尽管发生了这种规范转变，但 2015 年 3 月关于在尼日利亚使用南非雇佣军打击博科圣地叛乱分子的谣言引起了国际愤怒，而尼日利亚政府对此事保持沉默。本文调查了雇佣军对乔纳森政府最后六个月的冲突的影响。使用初级和次级定性研究，它评估了私营军事和安保公司在尼日利亚反叛乱战略中发挥的作用，以及国际和当地媒体对将暴力外包给外国公司的后续反应。文章的结论是——尽管私营军事和安保公司在世界上的形象有所改善，