China overtakes Russia in African arms race amidst sanctions
Over a year, China has become the leading supplier of weapons to at least 21 African countries, surpassing Russia, which held a 26% share of the African market until 2019. From 2019 to 2023, Russia's share has decreased by almost half. Russia sent its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Africa to salvage the situation.
Two years ago, in Sub-Saharan African countries, primarily in the Central African Republic, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad, one-fourth of the purchased weapons came from Moscow. But Western sanctions mean that less of it is now reaching Africa. Currently, at least seven out of ten African armies possess armoured vehicles manufactured in China, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The competition for the African arms market is more about influence than money. Sub-Saharan Africa imports relatively few weapons compared to the rest of the world, mainly receiving equipment with low technological sophistication, such as rifles, grenades, light combat vehicles, and light artillery.
Of course, there are exceptions. Recently, Beijing delivered warships to Djibouti and Mauritania and advanced drones to Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Nigeria alone, whose arms imports increased by 418% from 2022 to 2023, imported nearly £160 million worth of arms from China during that time.
For China, selling weapons to Africa is part of a long-term strategy to gain access to the continent's resources. Additionally, trading arms with countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe is part of their rivalry with the West. The best evidence of this is that these contracts are signed at very high political levels, usually with Chinese delegations led by the Minister of Defence.
Chinese weapons reach poor countries
Among the 10 countries engaged in high-level military cooperation with China, six (including Algeria, Angola, Sudan, and Nigeria) are oil, gas, and other key resource suppliers. In contrast, the remaining countries (Kenya and Ethiopia) have significant Chinese investments in ports, airports, and power plants.
But Chinese weapons also reach impoverished countries that cannot afford expensive and sophisticated vehicles, missiles, or tanks. Therefore, China strives to keep its affordable weapons, giving it an advantage over competitors.
Additionally, Beijing employs aggressive marketing, continuously promoting its military equipment at annual arms shows organised in various countries across the continent.
Russia sent its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Africa to salvage its share of the African arms market. On Monday, he was in Guinea; on Tuesday, in the Congo. The visit is likely also to include Chad and Burkina Faso.
