Topic:
Country: Sierra Leone
Delegate Name: Ayden Fisher
Country: Sierra Leone
Topic: Private Military Contractors
Committee: Disarmament and International Security Committee
School: Forest Hills Central High School
The world is in a constant state of motion. Whether it’s the back-to-back devastation in the southern part of North America by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, or the horrible attacks on Gaza, sometimes people need to reach out for another’s help. That is where Private Military Contractors (PMCs) come in. PMCs are privately owned companies that offer military, security, and legal services to countries and other militaries. Due to their military expertise, PMCs have been used in a multitude of wars and confrontations with other countries. One such example was during the war between Afghanistan and Iraq. Blackwater Academi, a PMC that was founded by a former United States Navy SEAL in 2014 led to some controversy between the United States and Iraq. In 2007, a shootout was held in Baghdad Nisour Square, leaving Blackwater to be accused of killing 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians. Another incident in 2006 occurred when a Blackwater contractor shot an Iraqi vice-presidential guard and killed him. This led to the Iraqi government demanding Blackwater to leave the country. This event seemed to open the doors to controversy on the topic and whether Private US Military Contractors should operate in Iraq. These contractors are not subject to the same restrictions and regulations as actual military personnel. The United Nations has since talked about this potential issue, and in 2013 a panel was held where the main focus was on the use of Private Military Contractors as armed guards and in peacekeeping operations.
Sierra Leone has had many issues with civil unrest in the past, some of which would’ve been extremely difficult to overcome without the use of PMCs. In 1991, At the end of Sierra Leon’s brutal 11-year civil war that led to the death of approximately 50,000 people. This war exhausted natural resources and majorly displaced the economy. What ended this war was the British Intervention, otherwise known as Operation Palliser. Operation Palliser was crucial in establishing peace within the country. The state of Sierra Leone during this time was in a state of unrest as shown in an article from In on Africa (IOA) states, “Life expectancy at birth was 38 years, the adult literacy rate was 31% and the infant mortality rate was a high 164 deaths per 1,000 births. Unsurprisingly then, out of 174 countries in the Human Development Index, Sierra Leone came in at last place. Furthermore, per capita annual income was US$ 200, and the government was operating in exile from Nigeria. By that time, the country had been at war for almost nine years.” Without the intervention of the British PMC’s, the peace that Sierra Leone now surrounds itself with would not have been possible.
Given that PMCs have been necessary to help establish peace and infrastructure, Sierra Leone urges that the use of PMCs remain permitted, but preventative measures be put in place. Measures should be set so any PMC that is in another country follows that country’s laws. Sierra Leone encourages the use of PMCs in humanitarian missions, and their use in providing security and protection. PMC’s were vital in the growth towards peace for Sierra Leone, so it should be set to keep their use the same.
