Private Spies and mercenaries on the loose in AFRICA!

From: Lucia Akech
   ref., article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/
AR2007110202165.html?wpisrc=newsletter
 
All Kenyans and Africans who love the continent must be very worried about how bribe prone ruling elites, who are not only inept at governance but also short sighted about securing vast natural resources in the continent, will be able to deal with foreign corporations who are willing to do anything including employment of private armies and spies to exploit Africa's natural resources.

Most African countries have leaders who are very dishonest and disloyal towards countries and the citizens they represent. Majority of these ruling elites are in the pockets of the same foreign entities whose interests lie solely on the natural resources. In many, if not all, cases the foreign entities provide the elites with personal securities like body guards, an indication as to whose interest is represented here.

The problem is that these private armies and spies may be recruited from any country in the world and they are loyal only to the entities that pay their contractual salaries doing whatever jobs they are assigned to do. The general public may not know who these "hired guns" are or their capabilities. They could be your next door neighbour, a co-worker, a boss, a shopkeeper, a kiosk owner or a friendly face in a social gathering fishing for information. The reality is that these people represent their own interest and not yours.

With wedge issue called "tribalism", which has been effectively used during colonial era and adopted by  post independent Africans rulers, the corruption prone elites have pretty much forfeited securing the sovereignty of their territories. The foreign entities, supported by these private armies and spies including unpatriotic African elites, are free to roam anywhere in a targeted country and do pretty much anything they want unimpeded.

Many African countries spend a lot of money on military equipments and personnel. The problem is that these national armies are always turned against the citizens whose welfare these elites should be protecting.

Most African leaders in power are more eager to obtain foreign aids (beggary) than govern or implement honest trade for its natural resources. The question is, if African leaders are incapable of securing their sovereignty and instead rely heavily on these, smiling but deadly selfish, foreign entities, what does the future hold for its youths currently under assault by disease, poverty and lack of proper education that can enable them to understand and compete in the global arena? The foreign aids embraced by the ruling elites have tons of disabling strings attached to them and should not be condoned by any leader who cares about the future of its youths.