DRC UNDERTAKES MAJOR UPGRADE OF WEAPONS

UN Security Council lifts arms purchase ban on DR Congo

The Eastafrican

21 December 2022

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday ended the arms purchase ban on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), freeing the country’s military to buy new weapons without having to seek permission from the global body’s sanctions committee.

The unanimous decision also extended the mandate of the UN Stabilisation Mission in the Congo — commonly referred to by its French acronym Monusco — by a year to December 2023. Monusco will now have a pre-written working relationship with the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) and the armed forces of the Congo (FARDC) to defeat armed groups.

But it is the unbanning of the weapons purchase that was crucial.

For years, Kinshasa was required by the Council to first notify the sanctions committee of weapons it intends to buy, eliminating an element of surprise on armed groups who were usually armed better than the national forces. DRC had been under an arms embargo, with the argument that allowing it a free hand to buy weapons was fuelling conflict as some of the arms bought were leaking to the many armed groups in the eastern parts of the country.

Prior notification

on Tuesday, the UN Security Council ended the prior notification procedure for the purchase of arms and military equipment by the DRC.

Since 2008, under the notification procedure, arms suppliers had been obliged to notify the UN in case of purchases of all types of arms by the DRC.

On several occasions, DRC representatives pleaded for the lifting of this “embargo” as suppliers refused to deliver equipment or ammunition to the country.

Early this month, during a debate in the Security Council, the United States stated that the notification procedure should be maintained.

On Tuesday, it was France that presented Resolution 2667, which was voted for unanimously, and which adjusted the arms embargo on DRC, removing the need for the FARDC to first ask for permission from the sanctions committee of the UN Security Council. However, Resolution 2667 retained the embargo on non-state actors including armed groups.

France presented the resolution just a day after condemning Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebels.

UN Security Council members said they recognised the “precarious security situation on the ground” in the DRC, where a multitude of armed groups have made parts of North and South Kivu and Ituri very dangerous areas, and this has been going on for over 25 years.

Critical win for DRC

During the debate, Kenya’s Permanent Representative Martin Kimani, said the lifting of the notification requirement is a critical win for DRC. Dr Kimani said it will now be easier to equip the FARDC to fight the armed groups. Kenya had been vocal against sanctions on DRC, arguing that they crippled the rebuilding of the Congolese army.

The United Kingdom too welcomed this adoption, calling it an “important tool for monitoring the flow of arms to armed groups in the DRC”.

In Kinshasa, the lifting of the embargo is seen as a victory for its diplomatic efforts by President Felix Tshisekedi’s government.

On Tuesday, the Congolese government welcomed the resolution saying it “redressed an injustice that prevented our country from freely acquiring military equipment to enable the DRC’s armed forces (FARDC) to have the necessary capacity to defend the country”.

The Council voted against the notification procedure “because of the current security challenges. We hope that the decision taken by the Council today will help the DRC government to restore state authority in the east of the country and end the cycle of violence,” said the UK representative to the UN.

The Congolese government says it takes note of the extension of Monusco’s mandate. The government nevertheless reaffirmed “determination to continue implementing the plan for the gradual and phased withdrawal of Monusco in accordance with the will expressed by the Congolese people”.

DR Congo Receives Turkish Military Weapons, Equipment

Defense Post

JANUARY 17, 2023

The Democratic Republic of Congo has taken delivery of military weapons and equipment from Turkey to bolster its defense capabilities.

The delivery came just three months after the African nation was freed to purchase and receive weapon systems from the global market.
Ankara’s donation arrived in North Kivu province earlier this month amid the ongoing conflict between the Congolese Army and several rebel groups, according to The East African.

The new weapons and equipment are expected to aid Congo’s efforts to eliminate militant groups that routinely launch attacks on civilians and military assets.
Without providing specific details about the content of the arms package, Lieutenant-General Constant Ndima of North Kivu said that the Turkish donation would strengthen the Congolese Army’s frontline units.

Strengthening Ties

Turkey’s delivery to DR Congo is part of its continuing efforts to strengthen ties with African countries.

It has reportedly increased its number of embassies in the region from 19 in 2010 to 44 in 2022.
Apart from security and military cooperation, Ankara wants to deepen trade, investment, and cultural projects with sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed arms sales during a major gathering of the continent’s leaders in Istanbul.

Countries like Angola had expressed interest in buying Turkish-made drones and other defense systems.

DRC acquires Maatla armoured vehicle from Paramount

 

January 18, 2023

military.africa

Paramount Group’s newly launched Maatla 4×4 Light Protected Vehicle (LPV) is now being supplied to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is not exactly certain how many vehicles the DRC ordered, however, at least 12 of the vehicles are known to have been shipped from Paramount’s vehicle production facility in South Africa to the country.

Having signed a contract with the DRC last year, the South African defence group Paramount is in the process of delivering several dozen troop transport to the Congolese military.

In September, Paramount Land Systems, a subsidiary of aerospace and technology company Paramount Group, revealed that it received two orders totalling 50 units of its Maatla 4×4 light protected vehicle (LPV) during the African Aerospace and Defence Expo 2022, that was held from September 21 to 23.

It did not mention the customers nor the value of the business.

“We are proud to announce full production of the new addition to our family of armoured, protective and security vehicles. Our #Maatla production is backed up by nearly three decades worth of experience.” Paramount said at the time on it social media page.

The Maatla (meaning Power in Setswana) provides ballistic and blast protections to STANAG 4569 Level 1, and can protect against handguns and other small calibre ball rounds. It also provides underbelly protection against M26 hand grenades or a blast equivalent.

Democratic Republic of Congo emerges as Mwari’s next customer

Defence Web

27th Jun 2023

After selling three Mwari aircraft to Mozambique’s military, Paramount is providing six of the aircraft to the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also a customer for Paramount armoured personnel carriers.
The Mwari was seen in Mozambican markings at the end of January, and now the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been named as the next customer. During the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition in September last year, Paramount just said it had orders for nine from two air forces.

The Mwari was under development for over a decade, originally as the AHRLAC (Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft), and is the first new clean-sheet manned military aircraft in South Africa since the Rooivalk attack helicopter. First flight of the Experimental Demonstrator (XDM) was in July 2014, followed by the Advanced Demonstrator (ADM), which was built for testing weapons and mission systems.

The Mwari is marketed as a relatively inexpensive alternative to high-end military aircraft for surveillance, maritime patrol and counter-insurgency operations.

It can also be used for training. The Mwari has been designed to easily perform multiple missions thanks to an innovative Interchangeable Mission Systems Bay (IMSB), located in the belly of the aircraft, providing near-endless sensor and payload options which can be integrated and be swapped out in less than two hours. Open-architecture and flexible systems allows for the quick and low-cost integration of new pods, avionics, cargo, special mission equipment, weapons and sensors.

The PT6 turboprop-powered Mwari has a service ceiling of up to 31 000 feet, and offers a maximum cruise speed of 250 knots, a mission range of up to 550 nautical miles with ordinance and an overall endurance of up to 6.5 hours.

UN Security Council lifts arms purchase ban on DR Congo

The aircraft also offers a short take-off and landing (STOL) capability, with retractable landing gear optimised for both semi and unprepared airstrips or sites.
Sensors and equipment that have already been fitted to the aircraft include Hensoldt’s Argos II electro-optical gimbal, Paramount Advanced Technologies’ 420 sensor ball, Thales’s Avni thermal reconnaissance system, Sysdel’s MiniRaven radar warning receiver, and Reutech’s ACR510 radio, amongst others. Future options could include a synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

The aircraft features an unusual twin-boom, single-pusher-engine, high-mounted forward-swept wing configuration, giving the aircraft an unconventional external appearance and providing for excellent external visibility (Paramount is considering air conditioning for the greenhouse-like cockpit). The two-crew are seated in tandem configuration, both being provided with optional Martin-Baker Mk 16 ejection seats, and full HOTAS (Hands On Throttle-And-Stick) side-stick controls. The rear cockpit is fitted with a 21-inch large screen display.

Mwari has been designed with portable production in mind. The aircraft could, depending on customer requirements, be exported in kit format for final assembly in customer countries and can easily integrate into supply chains around the world, enabling scalable mass production.
In addition to the Mwari, Paramount is supplying its new Maatla light 4×4 protected vehicles to the DRC, with at least six vehicles seen in November last year on their way to the DRC by road. At the time of its launch last year, Paramount said the Maatla (meaning Power in Setswana) had already received orders for 50 vehicles from two customers.

China Sends Military Drones to DRC Amid Fears of Regional War

The DRC has purchased Chinese attack drones, raising concerns about China’s role in exacerbating the DRC-Rwanda conflict.

The Diplomat

March 20, 2023

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to receive attack drones from China, a move that has sparked concerns about a potential regional conflict between Rwanda and the DRC.
According to Africa Intelligence, a Paris-based news site, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation will soon supply the total of nine Caihong 4 (CH-4) attack drones to help Kinshasa fight the Rwanda-backed rebels on the territory of DRC.

Experts have concerns about the arms transaction with the DRC, fearing that weapons could end up in the wrong hands and exacerbate the conflict.
In recent months, tensions between the DRC and Rwanda have been mounting, with Rwanda shooting a DRC fighter jet in late January over an alleged violation of Rwandan airspace. Attempts by the United Nations, United States, and other African states to normalize the situation have been unsuccessful.

The Great Lakes region of Africa has been strongly affected by insecurities that date back to the Rwanda genocide of 1994, when hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives in massacres. Today, as a result of a resurgence of violence generated by armed groups, 5.8 million people are displaced across the DRC.

“The West is reluctant to engage in arms sales with the DRC due to the country’s history, but China may do so in a clandestine way, using the conflict as a proxy to provoke and test the reaction of the West while also securing a foothold on the continent,” said Ibrahim Magara, a peace researcher and lecturer at the Loughborough University.

Ben Hunter, Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said that only a war of aggression in which the DRC uses Chinese drones against Rwandan civilians would incur notable criticism of China. “China has not received significant [backlash] for its use of drones in [other] African conflicts, largely due to its diplomatic influence in Africa,” Hunter pointed out.
“Moreover, the attention from Washington has [also] been limited because of the relatively minor implications of these drones for the U.S.-China relationship,” he added.

The growing interest in China’s military drones is not limited to the DRC. Nigeria was one of the first African states to buy Chinese CH-3 drones for use in counterinsurgency operations.
In Ethiopia’s recently ended civil war, China’s Win Loong drones were effective in quelling the rebellion in the country’s north – yet the Ethiopian armed forces were accused of committing war crimes during the conflict.

According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China has delivered 282 combat drones to 17 countries over the last decade, making it the world’s top seller of weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In comparison, the United States, which has the most advanced UAVs in the world, has only shipped 12 combat drones abroad in the same time span, all of which have gone to France and the United Kingdom.

“The Chinese drones are substantially cheaper than the U.S. drones in the same category, and likely come with less questions asked,” said Wim Zwijnenburg, a Humanitarian Disarmament Project Leader for PAX, a Dutch peace organization.
China also provides purchasers with flexible payment options.

“There seem to be an improvement with the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) Wing Loong I and II. These drones have now been imported and used by a number of African countries, including Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and Ethiopia,” Zwijnenburg continued. “The WL-2 has a larger payload and longer range and is deemed to be more reliable than the CH drones. We now seen the active use of WL in a number of African states in either civil wars or counterterrorism operations, e.g. in Western Sahara and Ethiopia.”

But most importantly, analysts say countries are turning to China because of export controls imposed by the United States. The Missile Technology Control Regime, an agreement created in 1987 to prohibit the spread of platforms capable of delivering chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, limits Washington in selling its combat drones.

China’s domination of the worldwide market for combat drones is partially thanks to a major state-funded program that strives to upgrade the country’s armed forces. Its bestselling drone, the Caihong 4, is often compared to to the U.S.-made MQ-9 Reaper, while the popular Wing Loong 2 is believed to be similar to the U.S.-built MQ-1 Predator.

However, “assessing the effective use of these drones is difficult, as African users have not disclosed reliable information or statistics on the drone use in general,” Zwijnenburg said.
Going beyond drones, SIPRI reported that in the last decade Chinese arms sales in sub-Saharan Africa were only second to Russia, and almost three times the amount exported to the region by the United States.

Against this background, the DRC has tried to strike a balance between the United States and China, yet the intensifying conflict with the Rwanda-backed rebel groups might be thrusting it back into the arms of China.
China maintains significant sway over the DRC mining industry, controlling nearly 70 percent of the country’s mining portfolio. This gives Beijing a vested interest in the DRC, a major exporter of cobalt and copper to China.

The current leadership of the DRC has been actively renegotiating Chinese mineral contracts, showing that the government is committed to reducing Beijing’s influence, which is the legacy of former president Joseph Kabila.
Since taking office in 2019, President Felix Tshisekedi has sought to balance the DRC’s relationship with China and the United States. In December 2022, the DRC signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. on the development of the electric vehicle battery industry.
Importantly, a DRC court recently barred China Molybdenum from operating the Tenke Fungurume mine, the world’s largest cobalt and copper mine, due to allegations that the company failed to declare thousands of tons of deposits and stripped the government of royalties.

In addition, last year, the DRC government requested an additional $17 billion investment from China as part of a 2008 infrastructure-for-minerals deal. Tshisekedi claimed that Congo has not benefited much from the Sicomines agreement, which was made as a part of a cobalt and copper joint venture with Chinese state-owned firms.
Yet, the country’s long-standing security problems continue to haunt its people, derailing the reforms. In the face of prolonged armed conflict and approaching elections, the DRC leadership might be forced to revive its warm ties with China.