Private Security Solution Set for Somalia

It is amazing to me that so many American people want to bash Blackwater, rather than evolve the governing rule sets for private contractors and put them to better use. While we continue the destructive path of demonizing these folks because they are governed by Bush administration rule sets, France is seeing potential and putting them to good use. Of all the stories over the weekend, I can't help but think this is the one not getting enough attention.

A private French military firm has signed a contract with Somali authorities to boost security off the country's coast, plagued by high-profile piracy in recent years, the chief executive said Saturday.

Pierre Marziali, CEO of the firm Secopex, said the deal would "strengthen maritime business" off Somalia....

"Our core business is primarily in the US," Marziali told AFP, before adding that the "Ponant affect played a part" in signing the deal with the Somali authorities.

According to Marziali, the contract amount will depend on an audit of existing facilities in Somalia, and will be to set up a "unified coastguard, creating a comprehensive coastguard information system" and form a special bodyguard for Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.

"These measures mean we can offer a concrete response to any armed attack," he said, adding that any pirate attack would be met with "a return of fire."

"The economic facet of this contract is also important for Somalia, victim not just of pirates but also the victim of huge pillaging of its natural fish stocks off its coastline," the Secopex boss added.

Secopex is a French private military service company that provides private security, bodyguards, and security advice and auditing to sovereign states. Said another way, Secopex is a Blackwater competitor. The idea of using a private security firm for this type of role isn't new, in fact we have covered recent discussions on the topic.

Claude Berube, a political science professor at the Naval Academy, has written on the topic at least twice, The more readily available version (at least more available to readers here) would be the Contracts of Marque article in the November 2007 issue of Proceedings. He also had an article in Orbis which was better detailed called Blackwaters for the Blue Waters: The Promise of Private Naval Companies. In both articles we think Lt. Berube is on the money, this is a very smart idea.

We have a question though, where is the $75 - $150 million annually coming from? Somalia has often claimed they didn't have the money or resources to develop a Coast Guard, which implies there may be a third party involved here. Is France, or the EU, providing the financial lift here or did Somalia find the money to develop its coast guard itself? If the funding is coming from a third party nation or entity, that doesn't diminish this initiative in any way from our view, rather highlights a smart way to invest and integrate in security through a domestically driven process that can interchange effectively with regional assets while developing indigenous capabilities.

If we weren't too busy making Blackwater out to be the great Satan of security, a similar approach would be in the works for Nigerian river delta and other hotzones in Africa, where developing indigenous security capabilities are important to stability, which facilitates economic development of a nation.

Additional details on specific services to be provided here.

Update: Blackwater Maritime Security Solutions has a new contract also, a bit closer to home.