So, what does it say about the state of the world, that the fastest growing and most active recruitment of Africans is by security contractors on the big land mine that used to be Iraq? All over Africa, contractors are looking for cheap labor that has enough sense not to get shot up, step on a IED or otherwise get themselves dead. Apparently Africans are uniquely suited for the work since they have experience in “risk mitigation” aka a highly developed sense of self preservation honed from the many years of strife and war in their own countries. As an added bonus they can be had for cheap. Thus helping the US fight a war that should never have started for a quarter of what they might have had to pay American soldiers to do the same job. Oh, and then there is the extra added benefit of not having to pay for their healthcare later in life should they suffer debilitating physical or mental injuries in their service of the American government. As long as we stay on budget and all… what does it matter. Right? I mean really it is WAAAY more than they would make working at home. Sheesh, life’s a risk, they have a choice to go or not. Reuters, AllAFrica.com and NPR’s Marketplace covered it this week. (Actually you just have to look at one of these links since it is the same exact story 3 times! It comes from IRIN originally though… does anyone do any actual reporting these days?)

Ummm… ok, so what if we failed to mention where they were going, took their passports away from them so they could not leave, failed to mention how truly dangerous Iraq actually is, oh yeah, and take most of the money they earned to pay travel expenses. It is really ridiculous to think that these workers really have much of a choice. What kind of choice is there between no job and having a job? Especially if they don’t have ANY of the information they need to make an informed choice. These companies are HELPING Africans. Oh happy day. Thanks all you US Government contractors trying to protect your bottom line. You are just the economic boom that Namibia, Uganda, Angola. Mozambique and the rest of Africa need. Really, you are just what was needed.

Thankfully many African governments are taking action. South Africa has forbidden recruitment within its borders.

In November 2007, South African President Thabo Mbeki signed legislation regulating the recruitment of South Africans to work in areas of armed conflict, which applies to private security contractors in Iraq

– IRIN

Namibia fought back after a public out cry:

And when news spread about the risks recruits would face in Iraq, there was public outcry. On 12 October 2007, the Namibian government deported two US citizens heading SOC-SMG’s operations there, declaring them “prohibited immigrants.”

–IRIN

Here is hoping that other African governments step up to protect their citizens.