Arms Deals: Turkiye’s Rising Influence and France’s Absence in Africa’s Sahel Region

A Fading Francophonie and a Rising Ottoman Influence — these words aptly describe the military landscape in West Africa, especially in the Sahel region, where Turkiye’s presence is growing as France confronts the challenge of being ousted from these countries.

Turkiye's recent arms deals and defense partnerships in West Africa are clear indicators of diplomatic expansion and Turkish influence, positioning it as a competitor to global powers.

Leading among these is France, which has historically dominated certain regions, such as the African Sahel, considering them within its sphere of influence and colonial legacy.

How has Turkiye expanded through its advanced defense industries in this region? And why does Paris see this expansion as a threat?

Aksungur to Angola

Ankara recently concluded a military agreement with Luanda, the capital of Angola, a nation located on the western coast of Southern Africa and the seventh-largest country in Africa by total area.

On October 7, 2024, Africa Intelligence noted that Turkiye’s aerial defense industry is preparing to deliver drones to Angola.

Ankara will supply Luanda with several Aksungur attack drones, one of the most prominent and advanced UAVs in Turkiye's drone fleet.

Turkiye has also started training Angolan army personnel to operate the drones after delays caused by Luanda's financial struggles due to its debt to China.

The French magazine said Turkish defense technicians have intensified their visits to the Forcas Armadas base in Angola in recent months to train future Aksungur operators.

The exact number of drones wasn’t mentioned in the contract, but it’s believed that Turkiye will deliver at least three drones along with a ground station.

With a wingspan of 24 meters, the Aksungur will enable the Angolan army to conduct precision strikes, as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, including maritime patrols.

The contract with the Turkish Aerospace Industries, valued at $93 million, was facilitated by Simportex, the Angolan state-owned armaments company affiliated with the armed forces.

This deal came as ties between the two countries deepened, a process that began with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s official visit to Angola in October 2021.

In addition to Angola, Turkish Aerospace Industries has exported Aksungur drones to two other African countries.

Algeria ordered six of these drones in 2022, while the Chadian Air Force is already operating at least one, which arrived in N'Djamena in April 2024.

Armored Vehicles for Cote d'Ivoire

From Angola to Cote d'Ivoire, Turkish defense industries have made their mark in this Francophone nation on Africa’s coast.

Bordered by Ghana to the east, Guinea and Liberia to the west, and Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Cote d'Ivoire faces the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

In early September 2024, Turkish armored vehicle manufacturer Otokar concluded two contracts to equip the Ivorian army, led by General Lassina Doumbia, and the Ivorian gendarmerie, headed by General Alexandre Apalo Touré.

The company is set to provide 10 Cobra II armored vehicles for the army and another batch for the gendarmerie, primarily designed for mine resistance and ambush protection.

Over recent years, Otokar has become a regular supplier to the Ivorian military, exporting around 60 Cobra II vehicles to the country.

The first contract focused on supplying transport for Ivorian peacekeeping forces deployed with the multinational United Nations mission to stabilize the Central African Republic (CAR). These forces are currently stationed as a rapid response unit in the town of Bria in eastern CAR.

During their visit to the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, Otokar representatives also offered the Ivorian military a maintenance plan for UN vehicles, which includes deploying Turkish military technicians.

Drones to Niger

Turkish defense partnerships have expanded to Niger, a landlocked nation in West Africa.

On October 10, 2024, Haber 7 reported that General Abdourahamane Tchiani’s government was nearing a landmark purchase from Turkish drone manufacturer Lentatek.

The Nigerian military council is in the final stages of securing a deal valued at approximately 80 million euros, which includes five Karayel-SU drones for surveillance and attack, a control station, and associated equipment like satellite communication systems and munitions.

Tchiani’s administration is reportedly using revenues from resumed crude oil exports via Benin to fund its military agreements with allied nations such as Turkiye.

Initially, the military council had intended to acquire additional TB-2 drones from Turkish manufacturer Baykar, which had already delivered six drones to Niger in May 2022, during the presidency of Mohamed Bazoum, who has been under house arrest with his wife since the July 2023 coup.

However, the council delayed this plan due to suspicions that Baykar had inflated the contract price. In response, the council tried to negotiate with UAE's EDGE Group subsidiary MALHAT, which has significant partnerships with various Turkish defense firms.

Official Intervention

The issue was resolved during a visit to Niamey in July 2024 by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin, and Turkish Defense Industries President Haluk Görgün, who reviewed the council’s military equipment requests.

The council also submitted a purchase request via the Nigerien firm Kibitya Solutions, previously used by Nigerian Army Chief Brigadier General Moussa Salaou Barmou. In June 2024, Barmou used Kibitya to acquire small HBR30-E drones, capable of two-hour flights, from Turkiye’s Z-Sistem.

Kibitya, now officially authorized by Barmou, is finalizing the contract details with Lentatek.

Turkiye’s military influence has recently extended into Niger, which grapples with serious security threats from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (west) and Boko Haram (east).

In July 2020, Turkiye and Niger signed a significant military agreement, representing a noteworthy breach into regions traditionally within French influence.

Neighboring Nigeria, Africa’s largest country by population, GDP, and oil exports, has also strengthened military cooperation with Turkiye. In 2018, the two nations signed a military training cooperation agreement covering humanitarian assistance, anti-piracy operations, establishing joint headquarters, conducting bilateral exercises, exchanging military delegations, and sending observers to joint maneuvers.

Paris on Edge

Turkiye's escalating military activities in West Africa have long heightened France's concerns as the traditional colonial power in the region.

On November 20, 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron, in an interview published by Jeune Afrique, accused Turkiye of pursuing a “strategy” aimed at fueling anti-French sentiments in Africa and exploiting the “resentment of the post-colonial era.”

On July 9, 2023, TRT reported that Ankara has become a destination for African leaders, particularly from countries dissatisfied with Paris or those that have fallen out of France’s orbit, coinciding with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's shift in strategy for the continent.

In 2022, Turkiye hosted the Turkish-African summit, attended by 17 African leaders and 102 ministers, marking a pinnacle of Turkish diplomacy in its efforts to forge partnerships with Africa.

On April 27, 2021, Inside Over said the Ottomans have once again entered the Dark Continent (using that term to reference Turkiye’s power during the Ottoman era).

They have established a presence in Arab ports overlooking the Mediterranean, extending into the Sahel and from the Horn of Africa to the Cape of Good Hope, as per the Italian website.

Their arrival there was aimed at a specific objective: to assert their presence and perhaps achieve prosperity and expansion at the expense of others, particularly the waning and aging powers like France, Italy, and Portugal.

Inside Over emphasized that Turkiye's new foreign strategy, led by Erdogan, encompasses several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

After thorough study and careful implementation, Turkiye has penetrated the “Francafrique” region (the former French colonies) and ventured far into the southern part of the continent.

This expansion includes encroaching on the former Portuguese colonial space and acquiring influence over Italian territories in the Horn of Africa, according to the same source.