STTEP International: Success, Sovereignty, and the Mercenary Legacy

The provided source offers an overview of STTEP International, a private military and security company (PMSC), tracing its origins back to its founder Eeben Barlow's previous, more controversial venture, Executive Outcomes (EO). It examines STTEP's operational model, "Composite Warfare," through a case study of its 2015 contract with the Nigerian government to combat Boko Haram, highlighting its tactical successes and the political backlash that led to its premature termination. The text further discusses the ongoing debate surrounding the "mercenary" label and the challenges of private military intervention in sovereign states. Finally, it addresses STTEP's post-Nigeria operations and its eventual absorption into Barlow's revived Executive Outcomes brand, concluding with an analysis of the enduring legacy of this model.

Research done with the help of artificial intelligence, and presented by two AI-generated hosts.