Procurement: Disarming Zimbabwe

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April 21,2008: Zimbabwe has bought a supply of ammunition from China. The shipment includes 3.5 million rounds of ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles and pistols 1500 RPG rockets, and 2,500 mortar shells (60mm and 81mm). Zimbabwe is the most repressive, corrupt and inefficient government in Africa, but is not under any arms embargo. So the shipment of arms recently arrived at a South African port, and the government said it would be allowed to move by truck to land-locked Zimbabwe. There, the ammo was likely to be used to overturn the results of the recent national elections, which voted out the current government. However, the port workers in South Africa refused to unload the ammo shipment, and South African police refused to fill in for the dock workers. A judge ruled that the ammo could not be moved through South Africa to Zimbabwe. So the Chinese ship went on its way, with the cargo containers of ammo still on board.

 

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