Israeli arms transfers to Sub-Saharan Africa

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published in October 2011 a carefully researched report on Israeli arms transfers to Sub-Saharan Africa covering the period 2006-2010.

The author is Siemon T. Wezeman, a senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. From 2006-2010, Israel accounted for less than 1 percent of transfers of major weapons to Sub-Saharan Africa. Deliveries consisted mainly of small numbers of artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles, armored vehicles, and patrol craft. Israel also delivered small arms and light weapons (SALW), military electronics, and training to several countries. Israel does not report its transfers of SALW.

The largest recipients of major weapons were Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, and Uganda. There is no systematic information for the delivery of Israeli SALW. While Africa is a small market for Israeli weapons, Israel has been trying recently to expand its weapons sales.

In early 2010, Kenya expressed an interest in buying weapons from Israel to counter the al-Shabaab threat from Somalia. The commander of the Kenyan armed forces visited Israel to strengthen military cooperation. The Israeli minister for public security paid a return visit and referred to Kenya as a “critical ally” and promised “much more support on the war against terrorism,” particularly as it involved Somalia.

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Israeli arms transfers to sub-Saharan Africa