Military scramble ‘mirrors Cold War’ as Russia, US and China vie for influence
By
Robert Bociaga
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Posted on
December 14, 2022 11:20
Africa has not traditionally been a high-value market for arms exports, but Russia has been very active on the continent. (Photo by Robert Bociaga)
The world is witnessing a military scramble for Africa by great powers. Western countries have been confronted by Chinese and Russian military assistance programmes. What is driving this and how has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affected the battle for foreign influence on the continent?
According to recent analysis by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an organisation that monitors arms trade, Russia was Africa’s top exporter of weapons from 2017 to 2021. Russia sold 44% of the stocks imported into Africa, followed by the US (17%), China (10%), and France (6.1%).
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