“There is a huge accountability void when it comes to these kinds of actors… It's very difficult because states haven't implemented the legal frameworks at the national level.”

The Middle East and North Africa region is a hotspot for mercenaries. This is partly due to the many conflicts in the region which attract them, coupled with the fact that mercenaries are cheap and efficient.

In this episode we discuss the history of mercenaries in the Middle East and how these groups have continued to rise in Syria, the differing reception mercenaries receive once they return home from armed conflict and what communities and organisations are doing to discourage people from joining mercenary groups. We also consider the role mercenaries will play in the MENA region going forward.

Our guests are:

• Bassam Al-Ahmad, co-Founder & Executive Director of Syrians for Truth and Justice
• Dr Sorcha MacLeod, Associate Professor in the Centre for Private Governance, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen

Your hosts are:

• Dean Peacock, Project Director of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom's initiative on men and militarism
• Reem Abbas, Communications Coordinator for the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace Programme

Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace is a podcast from WILPF, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, in which we uncover the transformative power of feminist peace and explore how men can be active proponents of achieving gender equality and peace.
For more resources and information, visit wilpf.org and the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace project page here.