Zimbabwe has received various military equipment from China, the African country’s President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has announced.
The estimated $28 million donation was presented to Mnangagwa at the Inkomo Mechanized Brigade in Zvimba, 62 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of the capital.
Armored vehicles, personnel carriers, patrol boats, sniper rifles, machine guns, and pistols were among the equipment included in the package.
China’s gift to Zimbabwe underlines the two countries’ longstanding diplomatic relations, beginning in 1980 right after Zimbabwe’s independence.
More Firepower
Images released by Zimbabwe’s Presidential Communications team showed eight Norinco WMA301 6×6 tanks, WZ-551 infantry fighting vehicles, and six infantry trucks.
The office also confirmed donations of ambulances, motorized water purifiers, and minibusses from its ally.
The equipment was handed over by Chinese ambassador Zhou Ding.
Equipped for Stability
Zimbabwe has been promoting its military’s growth and modernization as part of a commitment to the Southern African Development Community, an initiative to maintain security and stability through multinational peacekeeping efforts.
In recent years, it has teamed with countries such as Mozambique and South Africa to tackle violent jihadist insurgencies in the region.