| Type | Private military security firm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Government contracting, private security |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder(s) | Martin Simich, Gordon Conroy |
| Headquarters | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Divisions | Unity Amman Associates, Unity Pakistan, Unity Southern Sudan, Unity Iraq, Security Solutions Asia, and Australian Event Protection[1] |
| Website | http://www.unityresourcesgroup.com/ |
Unity Resources Group is an Australian-owned[2] private military company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, founded in 2000, which describes itself as having a "diverse client base, spanning government, non-government and multi-national business sectors."[3] The company is mainly staffed by Australian nationals[4] and is a member of the Private Security Company Association of Iraq (PSCAI) and the International Peace Operations Association (IPOA).[5]
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Unity Resources Group (Unity) is an integrated risk mitigation solutions provider for clients in complex, challenging and fragile environments globally. The group was established in Australia in 1996 and today operates across the core markets of Australia, Africa, The Americas, the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe.[6]
Unity Resources Group currently offers the following services[7]:
Australia
Asia
Middle East
Africa
Europe
On October 9, 2007, employees of the company shot at an approaching car in Baghdad. Two civilian women, both in the front seat, were killed: Marou Awanis, 48, a mother of three, and Genevia Askander, 30. The shooting has provoked strong outrage in Iraq, since it follows closely on the Blackwater Baghdad shootings of September 16, 2007 that led to the Iraqi government's attempt to ban Blackwater from Iraq.[9] Both women have been identified as Armenian Christians.[10][11]
The company defends the actions of its employees who fired over nineteen rounds of ammunition before speeding away from the scene.[12][13] URG is the security provider for USAID contractor RTI International. RTI was however not the client under protection when the shooting occurred.[14] The passengers in the back seat, including one child, survived the incident.[9]
In March 2006, a URG employee was blamed in the shooting of a 72-year-old Australian at a checkpoint in Baghdad.[14] The victim, Professor Kays Juma, had been a resident of Baghdad for 25 years and drove through the city every day. It was alleged that he sped up his vehicle as he approached the guards.[15]