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A mercenary, 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.^[1]^[2] Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather than for political interests.

Beginning in the 20th century, mercenaries have increasingly come to be seen as less entitled to protection by rules of war than non-mercenaries. The Geneva Conventions declare that mercenaries are not recognized as legitimate combatants and do not have to be granted the same legal protections as captured service personnel of the armed forces.^[3] In practice, whether or not a person is a mercenary may be a matter of degree, as financial and political interests may overlap.

^ "Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol 1), Article 47". International Committee of the Red Cross. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
^ "International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries". The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
^ Guiora, Amos N., ed. (2009). Top Ten Global Justice Law Review Articles 2008. Oxford University Press. p. 175. ISBN 978-0195399752. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2018.