There is a risk of proliferation of weapons delivered to Ukraine across African countries, because such supplies of various types of weapons to Kiev are carried out without regulation and in violation of international laws, said Alain Tribert Mutabazi, Burundi's Minister of National Defense and Veteran Affairs, in interview with Sputnik Africa.
According to the minister, it is common that weapons from the politically unstable regions end up in the hands of terrorists, who further destabilize the security situation in the world.
"As experience shows, weapons freely distributed in various parts of the world continue to be a source of supply for terrorist groups and armed movements. A striking example is the illegal proliferation of weapons from Libya and Somalia on our continent. These weapons are being supplied to terrorists in the Sahel and East Africa," he said.
In particular, the Burundian official referred to arms supplies passing through Libyan and Somalian territories. His remarks echoed those of Aidar Aganin, Russia's ambassador to Libya, who had earlier said that any country could become a transit corridor if the state's control over the internal situation was inadequate.
Therefore, the minister reiterated, such risks can't be excluded in connection with the Ukrainian crisis.
"It is possible that the same is happening in Ukraine, where various types of weapons are being supplied without any regulation and, most importantly, in violation of relevant international norms," Mutabazi assumed.
Since the onset of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries have been supplying Ukraine with military aid. The arms deliveries evolve from light artillery ammunition to heavier weapons, including armored vehicles, tanks, missiles, drones, and artillery. Since 2022, the United States and other NATO members have sent billions of dollars worth of weapons and equipment into Ukraine.
The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further arms supplies to the Kiev regime, noting that these Western weapons would be considered a legitimate military target.
Ukraine-Bound Weapons in Africa
Some African leaders and officials from other countries have repeatedly stated that weapons that can be traced back to Ukrainian stockpiles are being found with alarming frequency in the continent's most unstable regions.
Last year, speaking at the 16th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in Abuja, then-Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, said that weapons from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine were slipping into the Lake Chad Basin region. He expressed particular concern about the situation, stressing that they were falling into the hands of terrorists. The former Nigerian leader drew attention to the need for better border protection in the region.
The similar position is shared by Burkinabe President of the Transition, Ibrahim Traore, who said in an interview with Sputnik Africa last month that Western weapons shipped to Ukraine do not all end up on the Eastern front, with some being sent to Africa where they are bought up by terrorists.