Abstract
On 30 April 1997, the South African Cabinet tabled a bill, subsequently passed, to limit the involvement of South African citizens in mercenary and related activities. Designated the Foreign Military Assistance Bill, it attempts not only to define mercenary activities (largely in line with 1977 Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Convention), but to restrict their activities through government authorization of such.1 This is one of the first attempts by a national government to place restrictions on mercenary activities.
A Prince must build on sound foundations; otherwise he is bound to come to grief. The main foundations of every state … are good laws and good arms … If a Prince bases the defence of his state on mercenaries he will never achieve stability or security. For mercenaries are disunited, thirsty for power, undisciplined and disloyal…
(Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
Enrique Bernales, The Right of Peoples to Self-Determination and its Application to Peoples under Colonial or Alien Domination or Foreign Occupation: Report on the Question of the Use of Mercenaries as a Means of Violating Human Rights and Impeding the Exercise of the Right of Peoples of Self-determination (Geneva: UNCHR, 17 January 1996): s16, sIV; also same report 1994, 1995, 1997.
William Reno, ‘African Weak State and Commercial Alliances’, African Affairs, vol. 96 (1997): p. 181.
Ibid., p. 180; Elizabeth Rubin, ‘An army of One’s Own’, Harper’s Magazine, 294, no. 1761 (February 1997), pp. 44, 47; Kevin Whitelaw, ‘Have gun, will prop up regime’, US News and World Report (20 January 1997), pp. 46; Executive Outcomes Pty Ltd corporate brochures; ‘Welcome to Executive Outcomes’: www.eo.net.
For more on the state of private security forces and militias in the former Soviet Union, see Stephen J. Blank, Towards the Failing State: The Structure of Russian Security Policy. Conflict Studies Research Centre F56 (RMA Sandhurst), November 1996.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1999 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
O’Brien, K.A. (1999). Privatizing Security, Privatizing War? The New Warrior Class and Regional Security. In: Rich, P.B. (eds) Warlords in International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-27688-2_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-27688-2_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-27690-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-27688-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)