Defence Brief No. 1

Southern Africa Arms Transfers 1990-96

Sub-continent follows global demilitarisation pattern

Southern Africa has generally followed the global norm of disarmament, with most countries implementing cuts in defence spending and the downsizing of armed forces. This brief looks at the trend.

Introduction

Global military spending, and Southern Africa’s1 military spending, has been on the decline since the end of the cold war. However, certain regions of the world continue to be locked into arms races and military buildups. Notable areas of military buildups include the Middle East and South-East Asia. Other areas are difficult to assess due to the lack of reliable information on defense spending and armaments purchases. Southern Africa1 has generally followed the global norm of disarmament, with most countries implementing cuts in defence spending and the downsizing of armed forces. Some countries in Southern Africa, such as Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have made significant purchases of weapons since 1990, despite the regional pattern of disarmament and downsizing of armed forces. South Africa stands alone as the sole significant exporter of weapons in the region, and between 1990 and 1995 the value of its arms exports increased by more than 340%. Zimbabwe, which has a small domestic arms production capability (mainly ordnance) has supplied some countries in the region (e.g. Angola) with ammunition and ordnance.

Most of the countries in Southern Africa have purchased various types of armoured vehicles in the last few years. Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, North Korea, South Africa, UK and France have been the major suppliers of armoured vehicles to the region. Some countries have purchased military aircraft, including trainers, transport planes and helicopters in the last few years. Spain, China, Switzerland and the USA have been the major suppliers of military aircraft to the region. Heavier conventional armaments like tanks are gaining prominence, with Angola and Botswana having made significant purchases in the last few years. Small arms continue to flow in extraordinary numbers throughout the region, and in many cases consignments of small arms are often tacked onto shipments of conventional arms. However, purchases of small arms are extremely difficult to track, given that the UN Register does not have a category for small arms, and because transfers of small arms are more easily hidden from customs officials and the media

Using police confiscation records alone, which represent only a small percentage of the small arms traffic in the region, one can estimate the real numbers of small arms transfers as extremely high.

Angola is the largest (by value) net importer of arms in Southern Africa, and in Sub-Saharan Africa. The ongoing protracted civil-war in Angola, as a result of the collapse of various peace agreements, has meant that both Unita and the Angolan government have engaged in significant arms purchases during the last few years.

The Angolan government has purchased its arms from a number of countries usually via private arms dealers. It is estimated that the government is spending 60% of its oil revenues on defence, as well as mortgaging future oil sales.

The government defends the recent arms purchases by stating that they are necessary to replace obsolete and poorly maintained equipment. However there are concerns that some of the purchases (e.g. tanks) may be the result of procurement for procurements’ sake, where commissions are as much a part of the strategy as the weapons’ purported strategic value.

The government’s total defense spending reached US$2 billion in 1993, and from January to July 1994 the government spent an estimated US$1 billion on arms purchases. Since the Bicesse accords were signed in May 1991 Unita has mainly procured weapons from private arms dealers through supply routes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire). Individuals and private companies in DR Congo and South Africa have been implicated in supplying arms to Unita since 1992.

MINI REGIONAL ARMS RACE

Countries such as Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have made a number of significant arms purchases in recent years, prompting concerns of a mini regional arms race. Botswana began the buildup in 1990; steadily increasing purchases during the ensuing years. Zimbabwe has followed suit, provoked by the buildup next door. Namibia, although a small defence spender in comparison to its regional neighbours, has also entered the regional arms race with its own purchases and increasing defense budget.

South Africa, although a major arms exporter, does import weapons systems as well. Spain, Switzerland and the USA have been the major suppliers of aircraft to South Africa in the last few years. With the approval of the Defense Review in July 1997, South Africa is expected to begin a major cycle of procurement from foreign suppliers in the next few years. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is currently considering purchases of patrol corvettes, patrol aircraft, submarines, jet trainers, and utility helicopters.

The main supplier nations for the Angolan government forces have been Russia, Brazil, Spain, and various Eastern European countries (e.g. Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia). Botswana’s supply comes principally from the UK and Canada, with a strong possibility for future purchases (tanks) from Austria. Namibia has purchased from the USA, France and India while Zimbabwe has bought weapons from China, France, the UK and the Czech Republic.

The USA has been a major supplier of transport aircraft (ex-marines and ex US Airforce C130B Hercules) to various countries in Southern Africa (Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe). Most of these aircraft have been given as gifts by the US government.

AGRESSIVE MARKETING DRIVE

The dramatic cuts in South Africa’s defence budget since the late 1980s and the lifting of the United Nations arms embargo in 1994 have prompted South Africa’s domestic defence industry to embark on an aggressive arms export marketing drive. South Africa has marketed its weapons widely, but has targeted specifically the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia. African states (e.g. Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Rwanda) have been the recipients of armored personal carriers and small arms and light weapons. Various countries in the Middle East (e.g. Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates) have bought heavy artillery systems, particularly the G6 155mm self-propelled howitzer. Western countries, such as Canada, the USA and France and the United Nations have purchased armoured personnel carriers and the unique mine clearing system (Chubby) developed by South Africa.