Pro-government militias (PGMs) are becoming increasingly central to Africa’s security landscape, particularly in post-conflict states where weak institutions struggle to maintain order. Rising Scholar and Security Studies Expert, Toyosi Ajibade is exploring the complex dynamics of security though her revolutionary research. She believes that governments often turn to PGM groups for a number of reasons, including a lack of capacity to secure all territories, the strategic need to enhance military capabilities, the desire to project influence or the pursuit of plausible deniability in violent operations. In countries with weak state authority, PGMs frequently serve as a convenient, low-cost means to maintain order or control contested regions.

Ajibade’s research delves into the rise of militias within state security structures and their evolving roles in conflict and post-conflict settings. She examines how governments in fragile states rely on these groups to fill critical security gaps and how this reliance reshapes governance and security systems. Her work also explores the impact of these groups on state authority, focusing on the factors that influence government reliance on militias.

She stated that Pro-Government Militias only offer brief respite and have lasting effects on constitutional governments and popular sovereignty: “While Pro-Government Militias (PGMs) can provide short-term stability, their impact on democracy remains deeply controversial. In many African countries, PGMs have evolved from being temporary conflict actors to becoming powerful players in governance, often blurring the lines between state authority and non-state power,”

“Though they serve a critical role in extending state influence, particularly in areas where government presence is weak or absent, especially in terms of security, their presence also creates significant challenges. On the one hand, PGMs bolster state capacity as auxiliary security forces, on the other, their frequent lack of formal oversight undermines democratic principles, erodes accountability, and risks perpetuating instability,” she added.

Ajibade noted that Pro-Government Militias (PGMs) are becoming increasingly entrenched in the security and political landscape of many African countries; these groups often develop ethnic or partisan affiliations or come to acquire them over time, making their role especially problematic.

“While PGMs may initially emerge to fill security gaps where the state’s presence is weak, their affiliations and informal structures frequently contribute to the perpetuation of violence and the weakening of accountability. Left unchecked, they risk becoming destabilizing forces that erode governance and public trust in democratic institutions,”

She suggested methods to promote democratic consolidation in African countries, where the involvement of PGMs has now become largely unavoidable due to ongoing governance and security challenges –
“Formal frameworks with clear oversight must be established to regulate the activities of PGMs. Also, transparent accountability mechanisms must be enforced to ensure these groups do not operate with impunity. Without such measures, PGMs will continue to blur the line between state authority and non-state power, undermining the very democratic systems they are ostensibly meant to protect,”

Ajibade has called on African governments to take the reins by systemizing the involvement of pro-government militia groups in their security setups, ensuring they are kept in check and fully accountable for all their operations: “African governments must adopt strategies that formalize and regulate the roles of PGMs, integrating them into state security structures where necessary while imposing strict oversight to prevent abuse,”

“Clear accountability mechanisms are essential, not only to limit their autonomy but also to ensure their actions align with democratic principles. Allowing PGMs to operate unchecked poses serious risks, perpetuating cycles of violence that can unravel the fragile democratic gains that many African countries are still struggling to secure,” Ajibade added.

Without decisive action, PGMs could become entrenched actors that exacerbate insecurity, deepen ethnic divisions, and destabilize governance for years to come.