SA man arrested for mercenary activity

The arrest and prosecution of a naturalised South African citizen for allegedly recruiting mercenaries to fight in the conflict in Cote d'Ivoire has been welcomed. Analyst Jakkie Cilliers, head of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), based in Pretoria, told IRIN that the arrest at the weekend of Richard Rouget, a former French military officer, was a sign that the South African government was serious about curbing mercenary activity by its citizens. Associated Press (AP) reported that Rouget, 43, was arrested on Saturday at the Johannesburg International Airport after stepping off a flight from Harare, Zimbabwe. The government was meanwhile working to trace other South Africans who may be working with Rouget. "We might see more arrests if we can link him to others, but for now our investigations continue," Sipho Ngwema, spokesperson for the Scorpions special investigation unit, was quoted as saying. Rouget appeared in court on Monday on charges of violating the Foreign Military Assistance (FMA) Act by trying to recruit South Africans to fight in the Ivorian conflict, Ngwema told AP. Cilliers told IRIN on Monday that "as far as I know this is the first decision to prosecute under the FMA Act". He said it was significant that Rouget was not a former member of the South African military. "The general sense is that the South African [mercenary] engagement in African wars and elsewhere is declining, largely because the supply [of soldiers] is getting a bit old and long in the tooth. Engagement in mercenary activity has followed a cyclical pattern, i.e. after a war - and we had a war here - guys have skills that they can no longer employ in their own country and they sell them elsewhere," Cilliers said. It was important that "the first prosecution is not one of those guys (ex-South African military). It tells me that the rumours of South African involvement [in mercenary activity] is something that needs to be watched, but is no longer of major significance - and the FMA Act was a major contributing factor in that". The legislation was enacted in 1998 and prohibits the recruitment of persons within South Africa, or elsewhere, for engagement in mercenary activity. It also prohibits the rendering of foreign military assistance within South Africa or elsewhere. The Department of Foreign Affairs has stated that "this means that no person may, within the republic or elsewhere, offer to render any foreign military assistance to any state or organ of state, group of persons or other entity or person, unless he or she has been granted authorisation to offer such assistance by the National Conventional Arms Control Committee, as constituted by the National Executive by the decision of 18 August 1995". Cote d'Ivoire, one of the most prosperous countries in West Africa, erupted into civil war in September last year, but there has been little fighting since the formation in April of a government of national reconciliation, which includes nine rebel ministers. However, the rebel ministers have little real authority and rebel forces have not yet allowed the return of government administrators to the north of the country, where banks remain shut, civil servants unpaid and most schools closed.