Elimination of mercenarism in Africa: a need for a new continental approach

This paper presents a collaborative work from experts across various fields and disciplines during a conference on the regulation of the private security sector in Africa. The paper is divided into six parts starting with a discussion on the nature of the debate around mercenaries and Private Military Companies (PMC’s) and Private Security Companies (PSC’s) in Africa, and ends looking towards an effective regulatory framework for addressing the private security sector and mercenarism in Africa.

It is argued that with the advent of the new war(s) on terror led by the United States and United Kingdom, notably in Iraq and Afghanistan, the recruitment of former military personnel and ex-policemen by PSCs and PMCs has been an ongoing and rather disturbing trend in Africa. The authors assert that this has meant that African armies are literally training for the private security/military sector. Thus far, very few African states have put in place a regulatory framework on the provision of assistance of a military or military-related nature to, or the provision of humanitarian assistance by private security/military actors in, countries experiencing armed conflicts, or the enlistment of its nationals in foreign national armed forces.

Key points include that:

• while it is still necessary to maintain the abolitionist stand against ‘traditional’ mercenaries to make the practice both illegal and impossible, newer regimes need to be developed for the burgeoning private security industry to regulate activities of companies providing such services across borders and in conflict zones, so as to bring transparency to the whole industry
  
• at the continental level, impetus towards developing such framework must come from the concerted programme of action that begins with the formulation of general guidelines for export and import of private security services, and the regulation of PSCs/PMFs
  
• individual states would then be encouraged to enact appropriate legislations that will conform to these guidelines and therefore streamline their security sectors
  
• establishing domestic and continental regulatory frameworks is fraught with problems, but it is the only option currently available to address concerns about the general expansion of the security sector and the proliferation of private security companies in Africa.