Last week, the European Union confirmed that it would supply lethal weapons to the pro-Western governments of Niger and Somalia.
At a meeting of the Schuman Forum on Security and Defence in Brussels, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, confirmed that the EU would soon formalise its intention to supply arms to the pro-Western governments of Somalia and Niger.
“We know that our partners are increasingly interested in lethal support. Yes, what we did for Ukraine we can and will do for others,” he stated.
Central African military analyst Sylvain Nguema voiced his astonishment and stated that when the Central African Republic was under a military embargo, and the soldiers of the national army of the Central African Republic did not have the necessary military means to protect the country, European countries insisted that this was the only way to maintain peace in the country, despite the presence of armed groups and rebels who have ignited the fire of war in the country. “But now they are ready to send weapons to Africa and provide lethal weapons to loyalist governments” he continued.
According to Nguema the success of national forces in the Central African Republic, Mali, and now Burkina Faso, as well as the emergence of new partners, such as Russia, who are serious competitors of the West, because they collaborate effectively and on the principles of respectful partnership, have prompted the West to this strategy focused on sending arms to Africa, which would be a major escalation in the destabilisation of security in the region.
Finally, he stressed his dissatisfaction with the European Union: “It is clear that the European Union is pursuing this strategy to defend its own interests. As usual, they will receive arms in Africa, which could lead to an imbalance of power and new cycles of armed conflict throughout Africa”. He added that whatever the West does, it is not interested in Africa’s security or development.
