As Beijing partners with the UN and the African Union to train officials on small arms control, analysts question its impact
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenJevans NyabiagePublished: 12:00pm, 26 Jun 2026As China’s relationship with African countries deepens, the country’s influence is spreading into more areas. In this series Jevans Nyabiage looks at an initiative to help control weapons and reduce conflict in a region where Beijing has vast economic interests.China is marketing its strict policing and arms control expertise as a blueprint to stabilise Africa’s conflict-torn Great Lakes region, leveraging its reputation as one of the world’s safest countries.
Like other parts of Africa such as the Sahel, the Great Lakes region has long been destabilised by the illicit proliferation of small arms fuelling conflict and hampering local security.
