Togo, Turkey
Lomé's turn to succumb to charms of Turkish TB2 combat drones

Palace Intrigues
Félix Tshisekedi, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Faure Gnassingbé, Alassane Ouattara

Intrigues big and small... Every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

DRC Tshisekedi's mysteriously large salary

Congo Sassou keeps his memoirs to himself a while longer

France/Togo General Germanos' death leaves hole in team

Ivory Coast Cocody Bay's foul smells get under Ouattara's nose

Togo
Togo secretly takes delivery of three Russian Mi-35 helicopters

The Togolese general staff took delivery of three Russian Mi-35 combat helicopters in early November to help it combat the armed groups threatening the country. The contract seals the military-diplomatic rapprochement begun between Togo and Russia last year.

Africa, Turkey
African armies go shopping in Istanbul

High-ranking military officers from Niger, Cameroon, Togo and Morocco scoured the wares on display at the October Saha Expo, an international showcase for defence industry players close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

West Africa
Border protection: Turkish military company Sadat's discreet charm offensive

CEO Melih Tanriverdi has sent his teams to court West Africa's armed forces in the hopes of selling them Sadat's integrated border surveillance system for use in the conflict-prone Sahel region.

South Africa
Rifle-maker Truvelo in legal and financial turmoil

Truvelo, a leading sniper rifle manufacturer, is under investigation by South African police on suspicion of illegal firearms exports and is experiencing serious financial trouble. It is also dogged by tension between chairman Heine van Niekerk and its deputy CEO.

Benin
Cotonou wants Turkish drones and Chinese armaments to defend its borders

Faced with an increasing number of attacks from armed groups in northern Benin, the authorities in Cotonou have stepped up their efforts to find suppliers able to provide them with air defence systems. Among the contenders are Turkey's Baykar group, China's PolyTech and France's A-NSE.

Spotlight | Nigeria
Abuja's Turkish TB2 drones deal conditional on Washington's green light

The Nigerian army has for several months been looking to buy Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones but sanctions issued by Washington and Ottawa on a key part of the equipment are holding up negotiations. Its only hope for a breakthrough is a 100% Turkish drone that would provide Ankara with its own strategic autonomy.