Executive outcomes

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Executive Outcomes (EO) was a private security and military company that provided mercenaries and military materials for worldwide military use. EO was made up of members of former elite units of the South African army who had no military-political function in democratic South Africa after the end of apartheid.

Within a few years, Executive Outcomes became part of a global network of military service providers, mining and oil companies based in Pretoria, London and some tax havens. In early 1999, the company officially dissolved. However, the network continued to exist in companies such as Lifeguard and Ibis Air. Executive outcomes became a well-known example of modern global military companies through spectacular and widely publicized missions in Angola and Sierra Leone.

Foundation and early years

Basics in the South African Army
The background for the foundation was the political reform efforts in the late phase of apartheid in South Africa and the accompanying transformation of the political system. This was followed by a reconstruction of the South African armed forces. In 1989, the South African government began to dissolve its special forces, which were used both in the civil war in Angola and inside the country to combat political opposition, in particular the African National Congress (ANC).

Among these units were the 32-Bataljon, the Koevoet and the Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB). The 32-batalyon had supported the anti-communist UNITA in the Angolan civil war in order to prevent a victory of the MPLA supported by Cuban troops and Soviet and North Korean specialists. The 32-bataljon was militarily effective – it had the best ratio of killed opponents to the South African army’s own losses – but was later accused before the Truth Commission of numerous serious violations of human rights. Koevoet was a South African anti-terrorist unit operating in South West Africa (Namibia). The Civil Cooperation Bureau had tried to circumvent the international arms embargoes against South Africa with the help of front companies and carried out several attacks on ANC executives in Western Europe.

Founder Eeben Barlow was the commanding officer of the 32-Bataljon reconnaissance unit and later worked for the Western Europe section of the CCB and probably for the Armaments Corporation of South Africa. He is said to have been involved in the arms trade and to have planned assassination squads against individual ANC leaders in Europe. He was involved in spreading disinformation about the ANC; For example, in the UK, the claim that the ANC and IRA would work closely together.

First years
His experience in South African military and intelligence structures, where he not only