Analysis: China gains ground in Africa
Throughout the Cold War era, several sub-Saharan African countries turned to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to procure equipment for their armed forces. With Beijing providing military and financial support to a number of governments and revolutionary groups, these procurements were primarily the result of political convenience.
In the 1970s and 1980s, top African clients of the Chinese defence industry comprised Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Somalia, which primarily purchased fighter aircraft, armoured vehicles and artillery.
The end of the East-West stand-off and the ensuing wide availability of former soviet weaponry at discount prices helped many African countries such as
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