The former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba, is currently visiting Indonesia to discuss military cooperation between the two countries. Accompanied by the Indonesian Defense Minister, Prabowo Subianto, Mr. Bemba visited several military installations to discuss training and the exchange of experiences between experts.
Among the industries visited, they also visited PT Pindad, a company that manufactures military vehicles and weapons. Mr. Bemba said that their visit was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries in the field of defence.
This visit comes as the DRC’s military spending has increased significantly in recent months, from $459 million in 2021 to around $700 million in 2022. In December 2022, a United Nations Security Council resolution lifted the procedure notification of supplies of military equipment and assistance. 10.4% of the overall 2023 budget is also allocated to the defense sector.
Although the DRC has adopted a military programming law for the period 2022-2025, the internal situation remains precarious. Indeed, the Security Council still considers that the situation in the DRC constitutes a threat to international peace and security in the region. He is expecting a confidential report from the Congolese government detailing “its efforts to ensure the security, management, storage, monitoring and safety of arms and ammunition stocks, as well as the fight against arms trafficking”.
In this context, Mr. Bemba’s visit to Indonesia could raise questions about the future of security and stability in the region, particularly at the military level.