PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANIES IN AFRICA: SERVING WHOSE INTERESTS?

Insecurity in Africa has proved profitable for several shadowy private military companies (PMCs). Non-state ‘guns for hire’ are contracted in by top government officials and foreign companies, often involved in extractive industries. In this clip, Zimbabwean lawyer and activist Brian Kagoro (@tamukaKagoro77) points out that PMCs are partly responsible for keeping conflicts in Africa on a slow boil, as it ensures their services are needed. Some are well-known, such as the Wagner Group, now incorporated into Russia’s armed forces. The French Foreign Legion was active in the Sahel during France’s Operation Barkhane (2014 - 2022). US companies CACI and Academi are among the most prominent PMCs present in Africa. Others are Secopex from France, Britain’s Aegis Defence Services, Ukraine’s Omega Consulting Group, South Africa’s Dyck Advisory Group and Xeless from Germany.

Why are all these ‘guns for hire’ in Africa if not for the interests of foreign entities milking the continent dry? Should Africa sort its security challenges out without using PMCs?

Video credit: Kigali Today