Pro-Government Militias
Mercenary Army (United Arab Emirates)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 615 |
| Country: | United Arab Emirates |
| Date formed: | July 13, 2010 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | The group was formed on the initiative of the government, particularly the crown prince of Abu Dhabi as de facto ruler. It was implemented by the company Reflex Responses tied to Erik Prince, who is reported to have played a central role in this process. The contract between the two parties was signed on July 13, 2010. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The contract with the U.A.E. was signed on 2010-07-13 and expired in 2015. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | yes |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no information |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): | Some sources suggests that the group might be supported by the United States, but no clear evidence is found. |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | mercenary; ex soldiers; foreign nationals |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Zayed Military City |
| Force Strength: | [580, 800] |
| Target(s): | unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; protect property and investment; intelligence gathering; intimidate political opposition; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The Mercenary Army was founded by the private military company Reflex Respones (R2), which is closely linked to Eric Prince, the founder of the Blackwater Worldwide security company, who at the time lived in U.A.E. after having sold Blackwater. The contract was signed with Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi. The mercenary soldiers were recruited from Colombia and South Africa. Even though the U.A.E. government officially acknowledged the existence of the Mercenary Army (as a reaction to allegations made by the New York Times), they still tried to keep the group and its operations as secret as possible. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The New York Times reported that the group was to be used for special operations domestically and abroad as well as for defending strategically important locations (such as oil pipelines, nuclear power plants, and skyscrapers), e.g. from terrorist threats. It was meant to suppress domestic dissent, such as uprisings in labour camps and demonstrations, and to collect intelligence. The group was supposed to conduct humanitarian missions and internationally considered as a means to counter the perceived threat from Iran. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | For Colombian recruits the payment members received is reported as an incentive for joining the group. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Training was supported by foreign military contractors employed by the state army (e.g. Spectre, Horizon, R2). It was conducted by retired U.S. soldiers, veterans of German and British special forces and the French Foreign Legion. Weapons and other equipment were supplied by the government and included M-16 rifles, mortars and knives. |
Organisation
| Organisation: |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.