“As of the end of last year, Russia maintains a leading position in the international arms market among the countries that are the main exporters of military products ... Russia has emerged as the biggest supplier of weapons to Africa and accounts for half of the region’s arms market pie, almost twice that of China and the United States. States in Africa accounted for 17% of Russian arms exports in 2015–19. African nations make up the low end of the arms market with many of them unable to afford Western arms so turn to Russia and China. Russia has not made public the mechanism of its arms sales to African nations.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 24, 2020 13:30 UTC