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ARTICLE · 23 JULY 1997

The Wild Frontier

Control Risks
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United KingdomGovernment, Public Sector
How can long-running conflicts be resolved when traditional diplomatics means do not appear to have borne fruit?

The recent controversy over the Papua New Guinean government's attempt to hire private military assistance in order to regain control of the copper-rich Bougainville island again raises a controversial question: how can long-running conflicts be resolved when traditional diplomatic means do not appear to have borne fruit?

For extractive companies keen to resume operations in countries like PNG, Sierra Leone and Angola, the issue of conflict resolution is critical. Close association with the new breed of 'military advisory' companies and the governments which hire them may give companies the opportunity to steal a march on the competition, but it also risks bringing public opprobrium. Western firms which provide military training and protection are inevitably labelled not only as mercenaries but also as neo-imperialists helping their clients to exploit developing

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