On January 6, 2023, a Turkish Air Force cargo plane landed at Goma’s airport in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Onboard, reportedly, was equipment the Turkish military sought to provide the Congolese army as it increasingly faces off with local groups in the region.
Reportedly, that equipment included combat drones that, according to Rashid Abdi of the Nairobi-based Sahan Research, could upset the strategic balance between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and inflame tension between the two countries at a time when Secretary of State Antony Blinken has worked overtime to calm disputes between they spin out of control.
Viktor Orbán: Hungary doesn’t want ‘Muslim invaders’
While Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu sang the praises of the Türkiye-Rwanda partnership during a visit to Kigali less than a week later, his visit is just one part of a more malicious strategy. Like an arsonist who seeks financial gain as a volunteer firefighter, Türkiye signals its ability to disrupt and then seeks either diplomatic favor or financial benefit by simultaneously fanning the flames of conflict and offering military equipment.
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