Private military companyA private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a privately held company that provides armed combat or security services, military training or consulting, or operational support such as intelligence or logistics. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military contractors."
Sandline affairPolitical scandal The Sandline affair was a political scandal that became one of the defining moments in the history of Papua New Guinea, and particularly the Bougainville conflict. It brought down the government of Sir Julius Chan, and brought Papua New Guinea to the verge of a military revolt. The event was named after Sandline International, a United Kingdom-based private military company.
Tim SpicerTimothy Simon Spicer, OBE (born 1952) is a former British Army officer, and former CEO of the private security company Aegis Defence Services. He served in the Falklands War and in Northern Ireland. He founded Sandline International, a private military company which closed in April 2004.
Julius ChanSir Julius Chan (Chinese: 陳仲民, 29 August 1939 – 30 January 2025) was a Papua New Guinean politician who served as Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980 to 1982 and from 1994 to 1997. He was Member of Parliament for New Ireland Province, having won the seat in the 2007 national election. He was also the Governor of New Ireland Province from 2007 until his death in 2025.
Papua New GuineaCountry in OceaniaFlagEmblemMotto: 'Unity in diversity'Anthem: "O Arise, All You Sons"Royal anthem: "God Save the King"Location of Papua New Guinea (green)Capitaland largest cityPort Moresby09°28′44″S147°08′58″E / 9.47889°S 147.14944°E / -9.47889; 147.14944Official languagesEnglishHiri MotuPNG Sign LanguageTok PisinIndigenous languages839 languagesReligion (2011)95.5% Christianity (official) 64.3% Protestantism26.0% Catholicism5.2% other Christian3.1% unspecified1.4% others or noneDemonymPapua New GuineanGovernmentUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy• MonarchCharles III• Governor-GeneralBob Dadae• Prime MinisterJames MarapeLegislatureNational ParliamentIndependence from Australia• Territory of Papua1 September 1906• Territory of New Guinea19 May 1921• Administrative union1 July 1949• Self-governing 1 December 1973• Independence16 September 1975Area • Total462,840 km (178,700 sq mi) (54th)• Water (%)2.2Population• 2021 estimate 11,781,559 (93rd)• 2024 census10,185,363• Density25.5/km (66.0/sq mi)GDP (PPP)2025 estimate• Total $41.810 billion (135th)• Per capita $3,760 (162nd)GDP (nominal)2025 estimate• Total $32.840 billion (108th)• Per capita $2,560 (142nd)Gini (2009)41.9medium inequalityHDI (2023) 0.576medium (160th)CurrencyKina (PGK)Time zoneUTC+10, +11 (PNGST)Calling code+675ISO 3166 codePGInternet TLD.pgPapua New Guinea (PNG), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island nation in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia.
Ahmad Tejan KabbahAlhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (16 February 1932 – 13 March 2014) was a Sierra Leonean politician who served as the third President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and from 1998 to 2007. An economist and attorney by profession, Kabbah spent many years working for the United Nations Development Programme. He retired from the United Nations and returned to Sierra Leone in 1992.
MercenarySoldier who fights for hirec. 1525 engraving of two Swiss mercenariesA mercenary (, ), merc ( or ), or soldier of fortune is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather than for political interests.
BBCBritish public service broadcaster"The Beeb" redirects here. For other uses, see Beeb.The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current state with its current name on 1 January 1927.
Sierra LeoneCountry in West AfricaSierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the west coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is 73,252 km (28,283 sq mi). It has a tropical climate and environments ranging from savannahs to rainforests. As of the 2023 census, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,460,512. Freetown is its capital and largest city.
LiberiaCountry in West AfricaLiberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5.5 million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km).
British ArmyLand warfare force of the United KingdomMilitary unitThe British Army is the land warfare force of the United Kingdom responsible for defending the UK, the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. The British Army, founded in 1707, has seen involvement in most of the world's major wars throughout history, including both world wars.
Charles Taylor (Liberian politician)Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born 28 January 1948) is a Liberian former politician. He served as the 22nd president of Liberia from 2 August 1997 until his resignation on 11 August 2003 as a result of the Second Liberian Civil War and growing international pressure. After leaving office, he was found guilty of war crimes committed in the Sierra Leone Civil War, and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.