Pro-Government Militias
Executive Outcomes (Sierra Leone)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 70 |
| Country: | Sierra Leone |
| Date formed: | May 7, 1995 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| Details of Formation: | Executive Outcomes was a private military company, founded in South Africa in 1989 (Wikipedia). In 1995, they were contracted to fight RUF rebels in Sierra Leone. |
| Date dissolved: | Jan. 2, 1997 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | month |
| Details of Termination: | Before the elections in 1997, the government capitulated to international pressure from the IMF to withdraw the group from the country (Wikipedia). |
| Termination Type(s): | government defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | yes |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | no information |
| 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?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | no |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | mercenary; ex soldiers |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Freetown, Bo, East and Southern Regions |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 500] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; protect state, national or religious leader(s) |
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: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | Executive Outcomes provided all aspects of a highly trained modern army and was hired to fight RUF rebels as the army of Sierra Leone was less professional and incapable of countering the rebels. Between December 1995 and October 1996, the group launched a series of offensives that secured the Freetown area, reoccupied the diamond mines, and eliminated the RUF bases. After EO destroyed RUFs key base in January 1996, they began serious negotiations for the first time. However, after the group left Sierra Leone, RUF rebels sacked the capital (Wikipedia, Amnesty International 2006, Spearin 2009). |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | knowledge |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | no information |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | The group was hired for their professional expertise in fighting and contractually bound. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | Executive Outcomes had about 2000 members in total, with around 350 operating in Sierra Leone (Spearin 2009). One news source suggests up to 500 mercenaries fighting in the country. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | As the group was hired for their expertise in fighting and weaponry, they were logically not trained by the government of Sierra Leone. They provided armour, support aircraft and battle tanks. They were bought from sources in the worldwide arms trade within Africa and Eastern Europe (Wikipedia). As the military had considerable deficiencies, the Executive Outcomes trained and worked instead with the Kamajor militia (Spearin 2009). |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The government exercised control over the group via their contract and payment. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.