In a Reuters wire report published today, 5 December 1999, the UN Special Representative to Sierra Leone, Francis Okelo, put the cost of the UN peacekeeping force currently being deployed, UNAMSIL (United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone), at an estimated $260million for the period of its six month mandate. This equates to an annualised cost of $520million.
In contrast, the cost to Sierra Leone for Executive Outcome's deployment in 1995 and 1996, spanning a period of 21 months, was $35million, or an annualised rate of $20million.
Therefore, the UN force, which is deployed in a passive role, as opposed to EO's training and operational support role (which led to the conduct of democratic elections in the country), is costing the international community over 25 times more per month than the cost of the provision of EO's services.
Private Military Companies, such as Sandline International, remain willing to discuss, prepare and submit costed proposals for the provision of peacekeeping and peace enforcement services in competition with traditional sources. We are confident that, even taking into account the profit component which of necessity forms part of any private sector contract, we can offer the equivalent standards of service provision and levels of professionalism at much lower costs to the UN and its members.