As Traditional Security Partners SUCH As France and the United Stats Scale Back Operations and Russia Faces Supply Challenges Due to Its Ongoing War in Ukraine, China Has MOVED SWIFTLY TO BECOL A. MAJOR Defense Partner for Severral West African Nations. Among Research Institute Shows.
By Contrast, France – Long The Region’s Primary Security ALY –HAS Not Delivered Any Military Vehicles Since 2020. The US Has Only Supplied Aircraft Engines in Recent Years. This Shift Follows The Collaps of Operation Barkhane, France’s Countererrorism Mission in the SAHEL, and a series of Military Coups that Soured Relations Between Regional Govertons and Western Power.
“The Chinese Have Found An Opening when France and Russia Have Left Gaps, and they’re filting it can University, Speaking to the South China Morning Post. He Noted that Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso Have Turned to China Amid Deteroratoring Ties with Paris and Washington.
China’s Largest Weapons Manufacturer, NORNCO (China North Industries Group Corporation), Has Been Center to this Expansion. The stea-wned arms GIANT now has regional Offices in nigeria and sente and haas signed deals not only with burkina faso but also with mei and potentially niger -Countours when Beijing Holds Key Economic Interests Such as Lithium, Oil, and Uranium.
Mali, where china’s ganfeng Lithium operations a procesing facility, Signed a major Military Cooperration Agreement with Norinco in Late 2024. The Deal Includes Weapons, Training, Technology Transferences to Support Anti-Eitter Operations. Similar Arrangements are Reportedly Beings Pursted in Niger, Home to Extensive Chinese Oil Operations.
Analysts Say China’s Appoal Lies in Its “No-Strings-Attached” Approach to Military Support –Ffering Affordable, Rapidly Deieldable Arms With Demands For Goovernance Reformables Or Human Rights Commiesments. “Countries in the SAHEL Are No Looking For Defense Partners who don’t Normally Impose Political Conditions,“ SAID ILARIA CARROZA OF of The People Research Institute Olo.
China’s Growing PrestCE Also FITS InTO A BROADER Geopolitical Realignment. Astern Influence Wnes, Beijing and Moscow Have Both Sought to Strengthen their Footprints in the region, Although Russia’s capacity hae been Blunted by Its conflict in ukraine. “China Can Fill Gaps where Russia is running Short of Supplies, Even Providing Fighter Jets in Some Cases,“ SAID LISELOTTE Odgaard, A Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute.
Howver, China is Not Looking to Completely Overshadow Moscow. Experts Say Beijing is Expanding Carefully to Preservate Its Strategic Alignment with Russia, Even as it as asserts Greater Dominance in Francophone Africa.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is Turning to China Not Just for Military Equipment but also for textolgy transfer and pilgal arms manufacturing. A 2019 Defense Agreement with Norinco to Combat Boko HARAM is now Evolving into Deleper Coperration, Boosting Beijing’s Leverge in the Region.
As Africa’s Sahel Continues to Grapple with Insurgency, Political Upheaval, and Shifting Alliances, China’s Expanding Defeense Ties Are Shaping a New Military Balance –on where Beijing Plays A Center and Growing Role.
