Mercenary

Some people fight in wars for money.

They are called mercenaries. These people are not part of a regular army. They join a fight to get paid.

Because they fight for pay, rules are different for them. They do not always get the same protections. This is part of the rules of war.

Some groups are private companies. They provide security for others. These workers are often called contractors. It is a very big business.

A mercenary is a person who fights in a war for money.

They are not part of a country's official army. Instead, they join a fight to make a profit.

Rules for war are different for mercenaries. The Geneva Conventions are a set of rules for war. These rules say mercenaries are not regular soldiers. Because of this, they may not get the same legal protections. If they are caught, they may not be treated like prisoners of war. However, they must still be treated humanely. They cannot be punished without a trial.

Some people work for private military companies. These are businesses that sell security or combat services.

Workers for these companies are often called contractors. Some countries have strict laws about this. For example, France has laws about mercenary work. Germany also has rules for its citizens. In South Africa, citizens cannot fight in foreign wars without permission. The United Nations also has a convention to stop the use of mercenaries.

A mercenary is a person who fights in a war to make money.

They are not part of a country's official military. Instead, they are outsiders who join a fight for personal profit. Most mercenaries do not fight for political reasons or to support a specific government. They fight because they are promised payment or material goods. This makes them different from regular soldiers who serve their own nations.

Rules for war treat mercenaries differently than official soldiers. The Geneva Conventions are a set of international rules for war. Under these rules, mercenaries are not seen as legitimate combatants. This means they do not get the same legal protections as prisoners of war. If they are captured, they might not have the same rights as regular service personnel. However, they must still be treated humanely. They cannot be punished without having a trial first.

Many countries have made laws to control or stop mercenary work. In 1977, a protocol called APGC77 gave a widely accepted definition of a mercenary. The United Nations also passed a convention in 1989 to stop the use of mercenaries. This UN convention entered into force on 20 October 2001. Some countries have very strict rules for their own people. For example, Austria may take away citizenship from people who work as mercenaries. In 2003, France made mercenary activities a crime for its citizens.

Different nations have unique ways of handling these fighters. Germany makes it an offense to recruit its citizens for foreign military duties. South Africa passed a law in 1998 to ban citizens from foreign wars. They only allow involvement in humanitarian operations or with government approval. In the United Kingdom, laws from 1819 and 1870 make it unlawful to join a war against a country at peace with Britain. The United States has rules like the Anti-Pinkerton Act of 1893. This act stops the government from using certain private police companies.

Today, some people work for Private Military Companies, or PMCs. These are businesses that provide security or combat services for profit.

Workers for these companies are often called security contractors. They are technically civilians who are allowed to accompany an army. Some PMCs focus on training or logistics instead of direct fighting. For example, a French company called Défense conseil international provides military training. It earned a profit of €222 million in 2019. These companies are different from groups like the French Foreign Legion. Legionnaires are official members of the French Army and are not mercenaries.

A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit. Unlike regular soldiers, they are outsiders to the conflict. They do not belong to any official military of a nation. Instead of fighting for political goals, they fight for money or other forms of payment.

This distinction is important because it changes how international law views their role in a war. While their motivations might overlap with politics, the primary driver is financial gain.

International law treats mercenaries differently than official military personnel. The Geneva Conventions provide the rules for how people should be treated during war. Under Protocol I, also known as APGC77, mercenaries are not recognized as legitimate combatants. This means they do not have the same legal protections as prisoners of war. If they are captured, they may not receive the same rights as captured service personnel.

However, they are still entitled to humane treatment. They cannot be punished without a trial, according to the rules of the Protocol.

To define a mercenary clearly, Article 47 of APGC77 sets out specific criteria. All these criteria must be met for a person to be legally classed as a mercenary. The United Nations expanded on this with the UN Mercenary Convention in 1989. This convention entered into force on 20 October 2001. It includes a broader definition in Article 1.2. This version includes people recruited to overthrow a government or undermine a state's territorial integrity.

Under this rule, a person does not have to participate in direct fighting to be considered a mercenary.

Many nations have created strict laws to manage or prevent mercenary activity. Austria may revoke the citizenship of its people if they work as mercenaries for other countries. In 2003, France made mercenary activities a crime for its citizens and residents. However, French companies can still provide military training services. One such company, Défense conseil international, is 50% owned by the French state. It reported a profit of €222 million in 2019.

This shows how military services can become a large business.

Other countries have also taken specific legal steps. Germany makes it an offense to recruit its citizens for military duties for a foreign power. In South Africa, the Foreign Military Assistance Act of 1998 banned citizens from foreign wars. This law was reviewed in 2005 after events involving security guards in Iraq. The United Kingdom has the Foreign Enlistment Acts of 1819 and 1870. These laws make it unlawful for British subjects to join a state at war with a country at peace with Britain.

These laws aim to control how citizens participate in global conflicts.

The United States has its own complex set of rules regarding private forces. The Anti-Pinkerton Act of 1893 forbids the government from using certain private police companies. In 2006, a Department of Defense rule allowed private security contractors to use deadly force. This is permitted only for self-defense or to protect clients' assets and persons. There is often a debate about whether these contractors are performing military functions. In 2007, a lawsuit regarding a $475 million security contract in Iraq was eventually dismissed.

This highlights the legal tension between private business and military operations.

It is important to distinguish mercenaries from foreign national servicemen. Many soldiers serve in foreign armies legally as part of official units. For example, the French Foreign Legion is an organized unit of the French Army. Members of the Legion are not classed as mercenaries under APGC77. Similarly, Gurkha regiments serve in the British and Indian armies. These soldiers swear allegiance to a monarch or a constitution. They are official members of their respective armed forces, not private fighters for hire.

This distinction keeps the line between professional soldiers and mercenaries clear.