In April, four vehicles were spotted as part of a Malian military convoy, which the analytical company Jane's identified as Chinese Yitian-L air defence systems. In September, the administration of the President of Burkina Faso published footage of tests and inspection of equipment. According to observers, they showed a mobile surveillance radar and a launcher of the Chinese Sky Dragon family system manufactured by Norinco.
In turn, Cτte d'Ivoire in August demonstrated Wing Loong II strike drones. According to SCMP, they were supplied under a contract concluded with the Chinese state company Catic in June 2024.
Changes in arms supplies to the Sahel countries are also noticeable, the publication notes. Mali and Burkina Faso have terminated defence cooperation with France and faced US restrictions on security assistance.
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger created the Alliance of Sahel States in September 2023, and in July 2024 transformed it into a confederation. After the military came to power, these states began to reduce cooperation with France and develop ties with other partners.
Former US Ambassador to Burkina Faso and Ethiopia and specialist on China-Africa relations David Shinn explained the attractiveness of Chinese supplies by the improved quality of equipment and Beijing's readiness to sell it where many Western states refuse to do so.
"Unlike many Western countries, China will sell military equipment to any country if it is not under UN sanctions," RBK quoted him as saying.
According to experts surveyed by the newspaper, China is increasingly supplying more sophisticated weapons systems to Africa, which were previously purchased mainly from Western countries and to which only a few states on the continent had access.
It will be recalled that last week it became known that Russia had delivered the first batch of Su-35 fighter jets to Ethiopia ahead of schedule. The total number of combat aircraft ordered is 12 units.
Beijing ramps up arms supplies to the African continent
China is expanding supplies of more advanced types of weapons to Africa air defence systems, strike drones and electronic warfare assets supplementing its traditional exports of small arms, armored vehicles, trucks and artillery, and overtaking Western countries, in particular France, in military supplies. This was reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing researchers surveyed and information on the appearance of Chinese equipment in African countries.
