According to Erika Gibson, writing in the authoritative Beeld newspaper of Pretoria, South Africa, a group of up to 50 South Africans and other foreigners have apparently been recruited to lend armed support to the military junta in control of Guinea. Erika’s report appeared October 18.
Beeld reports that the first few members of the group have already left for Guinea, where soldiers of the junta, using sharp point ammunition, opened fire on opposition protesters on September 28, killing about 160 people and wounding another 1200.
According to the South African newspaper, informed sources said the military involvement of South Africans in yet another unstable African country could cause renewed damage to that country’s international reputation. A group of South Africans were involved in a failed coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea in 2004.
What is more, the latest actions could cause the tensions in Guinea to degenerate into total anarchy, experts have said.
The security company concerned has offices in Dubai in the Arab Emirates and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There was no reply at any of the telephone numbers in those offices when contacted by Beeld.
The company’s contract with the junta apparently involves VIP protection in the presidential guard, training, intelligence training, and armed escorts.
There was also apparently an undertaking that the group of “security specialists” would “facilitate” the shipment of weapons for the junta from the Ukraine.
The weapons are believed to have been shipped to Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia, from where the South Africans will escort them to Guinea. The reason for this is to prevent the monitoring of any direct weapon deliveries to the junta.
The company’s name is similar to that of a South African security concern that also provides foreign security services.
Secretive e-mails
From e-mails seen by Beeld it appears that three South Africans left for Guinea a couple of days ago and should be in the country now.
Their travel arrangements are cryptic and secretive: “Before you board the aeroplane you will receive a call from our senior executive officer on his cellphone. He will bring you up to speed – so ensure that you can take the call.”
The South Africans will receive SIM cards and laptops to use and will not be allowed to use their own cellphones or equipment.
Beeld has heard that the group’s details have already been supplied to the South African security and intelligence community.
The department of international relations and co-operation said they can take action only if South Africans land in any kind of trouble.
Omega Risk Solutions CEO Alex de Witt told Beeld he is aware of the allegations that the company concerned is active in Guinea. He is concerned that his company may be confused with the other one, while he has no links with it at all.
“I’m even more concerned that South Africans may be exploited on the pretext of something being a legal security contract. In view of events in Guinea in the past few weeks it is clear that any military support given to the junta could end up in a fiasco.
"It could also cause the South African government a great deal of embarrassment.”
A substantial number of the South Africans recruited are believed to be former police officers.
The junta is said to be paying for the security contract in gold and other mineral mining concessions. Guinea is one of the world’s largest suppliers of aluminium ore.
According to David Zounmenou, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, there was already talk of foreign military aid to the junta at the time of the slaughter in September.
The Economic Community of Countries in West Africa (Ecowas) is investigating the incident, as is the International Criminal Court.
PV has not yet been able to confirm whether the government in Freetown, Sierra Leone, is aware of the incident.
Photo: South African mercenaries.
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