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IPFS News Link • Mercenaries

The Privatization of War: Mercenaries, Private Military and Security Companies (PMSC)

• Jose L. Gomez del Prado

Private military and security companies (PMSC) are the modern reincarnation of a long lineage of private providers of physical force: corsairs, privateers and mercenaries. Mercenaries, which had practically disappeared during the XIXth and XXth centuries, reappeared in the 1960’s during the decolonization period operating mainly in Africa and Asia. Under the United Nations a convention was adopted which outlaws and criminalizes their activities. Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions also contains a definition of mercenary.   

These non-state entities of the XXIst century operate in extremely blurred situations where the frontiers are difficult to separate. The new security industry of private companies moves large quantities of weapons and military equipment. It provides services for military operations recruiting former militaries as civilians to carry out passive or defensive security.  

However, these individuals cannot be considered as civilians, given that they often carry and use weapons, interrogate prisoners, load bombs, drive military trucks and fulfill other essential military functions. Those who are armed can easily switch from a passive/defensive to an active/offensive role and can commit human rights violations and even destabilize governments. They cannot be considered soldiers or supporting militias under international humanitarian law either, since they are not part of the army or in the chain of command, and often belong to a large number of different nationalities.

PMSC personnel cannot usually be considered to be mercenaries for the definition of mercenaries as stipulated in the international conventions dealing with this issue does not generally apply to the personnel of PMSCs which are legally operating in foreign countries under contracts of legally registered companies. 

Private military and security companies operate in a legal vacuum: they pose a threat to civilians and to international human rights law. The UN Human Rights Council has entrusted the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries, principally, with the mandate: “To monitor and study the effects of the activities of private companies offering military assistance, consultancy and security services on the international market on the enjoyment of human Rights (…) and to prepare draft international basic principles that encourage respect for human rights on the part of those companies in their activities”.

 

1 Comments in Response to

Comment by florin stefan
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ma numesc florin am 15ani sunt din busteni, si vin cu o mare rugaminte la dumneavoastra. vin sarbatorile de iearna, iar noi nu avem ce pune pe masa . tata nu lucreaza doar mama, si lucreaza la matura pe strada in frig si ger pentru 500 de lei pe luna.tata este operat la picior.din banii acestia mama trebuie sa plateasca datoriile la magazin , datoriile la oameni care ne mai dau bani imprumut, si noi numai ramanem cu nimic.va cer ajutorul ca sa ne ajutati si pe noi cu ce puteti ca sa punem cate ceva de sarbatori pe masa. va trimit acest mesaj de la calculatorul unui vecin care ne mai ajuta si dansul din cand in cand.va rugam din tot sufletul sa ne ajutati cu ce puteti ca sa ne facem si noi sarbatorile de iarna ca orice om.Am vrea si noi ca orice om sa avem ce pune pe masa de sarbatori. dar daca nu avem nu putem face nimic. Dintr-un singur salariu, adus de mama, nu ne putem permite absolut nimic, pentru ca avem datorii la magazine care ne dau pe datorie, si trebuie sa dam inapoi. daca vreti sa ne ajutati cu ce puteti, va las numarul meu de telefon.0731806200. va multumesc mult


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