The Democratic Republic of the Congo has received military equipment from Turkey, and Ankara shows its intention to strengthen relations with Kinshasa, just under three months after the nation was freed to buy weapons on the global market.
Last weekend, Ankara’s donation arrived in Goma, the largest city in North Kivu province, the region currently in the midst of a conflict pitting the Congolese army, FARDC and M23 rebels. . The region is also home to hundreds of other rebel groups that routinely launch attacks inside and outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, making the conflict a regional issue.
Turkey’s donation comes less than a month after the UN lifted sanctions on FARDC that required supplier countries to refer to the UN sanctions committee on the DRC before sending weapons to the DRC. The notification system for arms shipments to the Congo ended on Tuesday, December 20, and Turkey did not even release any further details about the contents of its weapons to the public.
Read: The UN Security Council lifts the arms ban in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
African countries on the UN Security Council had argued that this requirement was a strategic chink in the FARDC’s armor, as it plans to secure its territory because it allowed enemies to learn of the DRC’s weaponry.
Lieutenant General Constant Ndima, the military governor of North Kivu, who received the equipment on behalf of President Felix Tshisekedi, said the Turkish donation “will strengthen the Congolese army units on the front lines” against various armed groups and the M23.
Ankara has been elevating ties with several countries in Africa, including Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda and now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It increased its embassies from 19 in 2010 to 44 at the end of last year.
Turkey’s official policy for sub-Saharan Africa focuses on trade, investment, cultural projects, security and military cooperation and development projects, according to a Turkish government bulletin.
“The DRC is very much counting on this cooperation, which will surely bear good fruits in the future, for the well-being of the Congolese and Turkish brotherly peoples,” said Lieutenant General Ndima.
