Soroor Ahmed warns against the phenomenon of private armies and the dirty game they play that pose the danger of growth of parallel power centre. Citing the happenings in Russia, Sudan or even for that matter in the United States that have given enough warning, he opines that those who play with fire have the possibility of perishing therein.
The revolt by Wagner Group in the last week of June sparked off a discussion over the existence ofprivate armies and the dirty game they play. This phenomenon is not confined to Russia, as the westernmedia would like the world to believe. The private military company of the United States, Blackwater,played a very crucial role in its campaign in Iraq and Afghanistan yet the world was not much aware oftheir activities. The US may call for dubbing Wagner Group a gang of criminals or terrorists yet thefact remains that its own Blackwater, formed in 1996-97 and now called Academi, played an equallybloody game in the above mentioned two Muslim countries on either side of Iran, the main enemy since1979 Islamic Revolution.
The other very prominent US firm, which was active in Iraq, was Triple Canopy. In 2014 the latter andAcademi got merged.
Incidentally, the global media would call them defence contractors, thus keeping the general masses indark about their real activities. It is said that at the height of Iraq campaign there were about onelakh US soldiers as well as 1,90,000 so-called defence contractors. In Afghanistan there were equalnumber of US soldiers as well as these private army personnel, that is, one lakh each.
RUSSIA STORY
Now that Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, may have made peace with Russian President Vladmir Putin, thetruth is that the latter cannot afford to antagonise him for too long as his private army is not onlyplaying a very crucial role on the Ukraine front, but is very active in Syria and several countries ofAfrica, the latest in the news is once again Sudan.
Sudan had its own private militia called Janjaveed, which till a few years back was busy in the civil-war torn Darfur and South Sudan region. It was about a decade back that they were converted into thepara-military unit called, Rapid Support Force. Since April 15 it is locked in the bloody showdown withthe army of its own country.
It is said that a couple of Gulf Arab countries are fanning this strife in mineral rich Sudan for theirown interest. The West and Russia too are fishing in the troubled waters of the country.
Curiously, the Wagner revolt too was taking the similar shape. But Putin handled the situation shrewdlyand made compromise. Otherwise, it would have very serious consequences.
These private armies, not only Wagner, are busy in the loot and plunder of Africa and some countries in theMiddle East. They are all working overtime to pit one group against another in the entire region andin the process capture the rich mineral and agriculture resources.
The big powers seek the help of these so-called security or defence agencies as deploying their ownarmy often create political storm. Besides, the army of these countries do not take the responsibilityof the war crimes committed by these mercenaries.
In most cases these mercenaries are either ex-servicemen, volunteers, or even convicted criminals, asin the case of Wagner. They are pardoned if they join these forces.
HISTORY OF PRIVATE ARMIES
In the earlier ages the practice of hiring mercenary was quite common. But in the era where loud claimis being made about the advent of democracy, constitutionalism, liberty, justice, etc., it sounds somewhatbizarre to have such a band of goons let loose by the so-called civilized countries of the world.
The origin of modern private armies can be traced in colonial period when the British in particularintroduced this practice in a big way. It was the East India Company’s army which conquered a largepart of India before 1857 Mutiny. The Crown rule actually started from 1858.
Initially the Company would recruit personnel from Europe, but later started employing from India too.Not only that after the end of war with Nepal in 1816 the practice of recruiting Gurkhas started.
Even today there is a formal system of recruiting Gurkhas by the British Army. Before the introductionof Agniveer, India too used to recruit Nepali Gurkhas. But this is being done following proper agreementand can no way be called private army. Be it in Britain or India, the Gurkhas enjoy equal army statusin these two respective countries.
NEGATIVE IMPACT
There are innumerable such defence companies across the world, but about a dozen are prominent. Apartfrom the above named, there are others who are quite active in this exercise. They are Aegis DefenceServices and G4S.
The developments in Russia and Sudan have exposed the other side of the private armies. They have thepotential to seriously undermine the very security of the country which they are supposed to fightfor or defend. Many of their troopers are not properly trained and have dubious and criminal pastrecords. With weapons in hands, they can go amok any time.
The quarrel in Russia started following Wagner complaint that it is not getting due support and supplyof arms and ammunition from the government though they have achieved what the formal military couldnot.
If many of those who took up arms and tried to storm into Washington’s Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021were ex-servicemen and -women, how can one totally rule out Wagner type rebellion in the United Stateswhere firearms are easily available.Several lives were lost in this incident.
The western media often express fear about nuclear weapon going into the hands of non-state actors orterrorist groups of the Third World, how can one rule out any such possibility in Russia, where Wagner went on rampage, or in any other developed nations.
In most of the cases, these companies of private armies have been floated by retired army, air force ornavy personnel or some very influential business tycoons having strong clout.There is danger of thegrowth of parallel powercentre. The happenings in Russia, Sudan or even for that matter in the UnitedStates have given enough warning. Those who play with fire have the possibility of perishing in it.