Every second counts:
getting ahead of a coup
For businesses operating in unstable regions, the risk of uprisings can be very real with devastating consequences to the safety of their employees and operations. When a coup d’etat is looming, every second is vital so that businesses can prepare and protect their staff, and G4S’s expert and timely security intelligence service can ensure companies stay one step ahead.
03 Sep 2020
It was late on Tuesday 18 August 2020 when the media started to report that a group of Malian soldiers had taken control of the Kati camp in Mali, arresting the President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, and his Prime Minister. Within hours Keïta had resigned, stating that he wanted “no blood to be spilled to keep me in power.” The coup d’etat was complete.
When governments are overthrown the impact on people and businesses can be colossal, and often dangerous. The safety of employees can be a significant concern when law and order is thrown into turmoil. Looting and damage to property are common, and the value of local currencies can plummet leading to further unrest.
Getting advance notice of potential uprisings can make all the difference to a business and their staff, and on the morning of the Mali coup - hours before the media knew about it - G4S Intelligence and Advisory Services (IAS) detected information which signalled that an uprising was imminent, and gave a customer with extensive operations in the area advanced warning.
The difference for businesses in being able to prepare ahead of an uprising instead of reacting when one comes out of the blue is huge. It can save lives.
“The difference for businesses in being able to prepare ahead of an uprising instead of reacting when one comes out of the blue is huge. It can save lives” said Dino Bossi, Managing Director of G4S Risk Consulting. “The early detection of the situation in Mali by our analysts, and the advanced notice we supplied gave our client more time to develop an appropriate response to the coup.
“This demonstrates the value of credible and timely security intelligence. If you know that your employees are in a vulnerable location, you can get them out of there. If your products and assets are going to be at risk of being stolen, damaged or seized, you can take preventative measures. If an economic collapse is going to leave your company vulnerable, you have some time to prepare for and mitigate that impact.”
IAS, part of G4S Risk Management, combines open source information with the insights drawn from G4S’s extensive global footprint and on-the-ground networks in over 85 countries. Trained G4S intelligence analysts with regional and thematic expertise provide incisive foresight and informed strategic advice to companies, governments and individuals working in challenging, unfamiliar or opaque markets.