Johannesburg — Despite international efforts to curb violence and promote peace, countries like the United States, Russia, and China remain dominant in the global arms trade, contributing to devastating conflicts across Africa. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), between 2018 and 2022, African nations accounted for approximately 4.3% of global arms imports, with Russia supplying around 44% of these exports to the continent, followed by China and the United States.
These arms, often procured by governments and armed groups, continue to fuel conflicts such as the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where ongoing violence has resulted in over 6 million indirect deaths since 1998, according to the United Nations. Beyond the staggering death toll, the DRC faces severe economic repercussions: the World Bank estimates that ongoing conflict and instability have cost the DRC over $4 billion annually, stalling sustainable development and limiting investment in critical infrastructure.
West Africa is another heavily affected region, with terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS in the Sahel capitalizing on the easy access to sophisticated weaponry, intensifying attacks and destabilizing local governments. A 2023 report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) highlighted West Africa’s acute vulnerability to terrorist financing due to political instability and a lack of stringent regulation over arms flows and illicit funds.
The largest arms exporters — the United States, Russia, and China — control approximately 80% of the global arms trade, according to SIPRI. Driven by a lucrative industry with strong political backing, these exports continue largely unchecked. The U.S. Department of State, for example, supports arms exports to bolster alliances, while Russia and China view arms sales as a means of expanding their geopolitical influence in Africa. Arms sales to African nations are often justified as “security support,” but data tells a different story: only 10% of these arms are used for external defense, with the rest fueling internal conflicts, according to a study by Amnesty International.
While major arms-exporting countries rarely face penalties for fueling violence, many African nations, like Sudan and Zimbabwe, endure severe sanctions due to instability and human rights abuses, often exacerbated by an influx of foreign weaponry. This disparity in sanctions reflects a systemic inequality, with arms-exporting countries shielded by their political and economic power within bodies like the United Nations, while African nations face restrictions that stifle their development and autonomy.
Between 1990 and 2005, armed conflicts are estimated to have cost African nations around $300 billion — a sum nearly equal to the international aid received over the same period, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The toll on quality of life is direct: child mortality rates in African conflict zones are, on average, 70% higher than in stable regions, according to WHO data. Additionally, millions have been forcibly displaced, fueling a refugee crisis that strains already limited health, education, and infrastructure resources.
Experts argue that holding major arms-exporting powers accountable is essential to mitigating the damage in Africa. “We need a more balanced approach, one that not only sanctions affected countries but also demands responsibility from arms exporters,” says Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Africa. The United Nationsrecently proposed a regulatory framework that includes targeted sanctions on companies and countries exporting weapons to conflict zones, but the proposal faces resistance from permanent members of the UN Security Council.
As Africa strives for peace and development, the devastating impact of the arms trade is a reminder that the continent’s stability is intricately linked to the arms export policies of major powers. Without a shift in global governance that holds all actors accountable — including the top arms exporters — the cycle of conflict, economic loss, and human suffering in Africa is likely to persist.
