There's this infamous Weberian theory of a Modern state and its "monopoly on violence", which has become universal in social sciences. The theory doesn't necessarily imply that all violence is inflicted by government workers, it merely describes how legitimate violence exists only within the state-outlined limits and is used by those who got the official permits (e.g. security companies and PMCs) and follow the rules from above. Actually, that's what distinguishes a strong state from a weak one. Murky paramilitary groups, even "pro-regime" ones, in several Latin American countries are the textbook case of a weak state. Same goes for African field commanders and tribal militia. Behind them, the government is almost invisible.
Автор: Джон М.Т. Балмер (2014) Перевод: Светлана Соколова (2022) Оригинал: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/IMO0020-8825370401