Russia’s budding relationship with several African countries has come in the wake of the perfect anti-West storm.
Countries in Africa, most notably those in the Sahel, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, have completely rejected all Western influences.
Burkina Faso, for instance, has taken steps to remove Western-style attire from its courts and adopted indigenous languages to serve as official national languages, replacing their Western counterparts.
All of the aforementioned countries have also dismantled French military bases, thereby creating opportunities for military partnerships with non-Western states.
As a result, a lot of funds from Africa have been spent via military industrial contracts.
According to Aleksandr Mikheev, CEO of Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state-owned arms export company, Russia has strengthened its defense cooperation with Africa by entering into $4 billion in military-industrial contracts with 46 African nations, as reported by Sputnik.
“We work with Rwanda, Uganda, Congo, the DRC, Nigeria, and Angola, which ensures us a significant geographical presence,” he said.
“The African market is very promising,” he added.
Rosoboronexport is the sole Russian intermediary for exporting and importing defense equipment, technologies, and services.
The establishment has long been a major player in the global arms trade, and it has worked to deepen ties with several African states, many of which are looking to modernize their military capabilities.
The contracts encompass the procurement of military equipment, maintenance services, and technological transfers targeted at strengthening African countries’ defense capabilities.
Aside from weapon sales, Russia’s collaborations frequently include training programs for local people and collaborative initiatives in the military industry.
Rosoboronexport’s recent exhibition in Africa
Two years earlier, the company indicated an acute interest in expanding its influence in Africa, using the same platform.
According to DefenceWeb, Rosoboronexport committed to displaying Russian-made land forces hardware such as the T-90S main battle tank, TOS-1A heavy flamethrower system, Smerch multiple rocket launcher system, Msta-S self-propelled howitzer with a standard NATO 155 mm gun, BTR-80A and BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers, various versions of the Tigr and Typhoon wheeled armoured vehicles, and the Kornet-EM anti-tank guided missile system.
During the final AAD event in 2022, small arms such as the Kalashnikov AK-100, AK-200, AK-12, AK-15, and AK-19 assault rifles were used, as well as body armor.
The Africa Aerospace and Defense (AAD) expo, which debuted in 1975, is Africa’s sole aerospace and defense event that combines a trade fair and an air show.
It takes place every two years and attracts hundreds of companies from around the globe.
