June 13, 2026:
The RWEA/Russian Weapons Export agency ROSOBORONEXPORT solicits nations interested in purchasing Russian weapons and then supervises the movement of the weapons to foreign customers while also offering training and maintenance services. REWA personnel seek out Africans attending international trade fairs while also meeting with African purchasing agents at REWA offices in major African countries.
Russia currently exports about $5.7 billion worth of weapons annually and 30 percent of that goes to African countries. Russia’s relationships with African countries are based on decades of trading, usually African raw materials for Russian manufactured goods, including weapons. Russia has a history of generously assisting nations that support Russian political and military objectives. This was particularly true during the 1948-1991 Cold War. Most current African nations were European colonies during the 20th century, but during the 1960s these colonies achieved independence. That led to a competition between western nations, particularly America and Russia over who would be the major supplier of weapons and other technologies to these new countries. While the goal was to help everyone in these countries, the leaders of African countries kept most of the wealth for themselves. As a result, high-tech weapons like tanks, warplanes and combat ships were not properly maintained and after a decade were worthless. This was not a total loss because the nations receiving these weapons also allowed the donor countries to invest in and operate mines, oil fields and other natural resource extraction operations. The foreigners got rich as did the African leaders.
After the Cold War ended in 1991, the African nations could no longer profit from Communist and western competition to offer the best economic deals to African countries. Another change was that China was becoming a major investor and exploiter of African raw materials. The collapse of the Communist Soviet Union in 1991 meant the bankrupt Russians were no longer able to offer anything to African states except mercenaries. First there was the independent Wagner Group, which by 2923 evolved into the 4,000 government controlled Africa Corps mercenaries. So far, this organization has been operating in Mali, the Central African Republic, Libya, Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea. The Africa Corps sometimes handles distribution of Russian weapons and trains local personnel.
Recently about a dozen members of the Africa Corps operating in Mali and local soldiers were killed and injured while guarding a convoy. Russian and local soldiers inflict far more casualties on local civilians. This usually occurs during efforts to deal with Islamic terrorists, who remain a major threat to the economy and national government.
Meanwhile, Russian arms manufacturers and exporters have spent over $20 billion for licensed and joint production, development of advanced weapons and military equipment, as well as their modernization, post-sale service and maintenance. REWA undertakes providing African governments with defense solutions designed to improve security and coastline protection, as well as direct military equipment shipments. Other areas of focus include infrastructure support, potential for licensed and joint manufacturing, collaboration in R&D/Research and Development, modernization, servicing, and maintenance of current defense equipment.