On Mai 11th, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto met with Former Congolese Vice President and Defense Minister, Jean-Pierre Bemba. The two sides discussed various aspects of military cooperation, including training and experience exchange between experts. Subsequently, they signed a letter of intent to initiate a collaboration program between the two countries.
Bemba also visited two military factories, including PT Pindad, where he was shown the military vehicles and weapons produced by the factory. He expressed his hopes that the visit would strengthen the relationship between the two countries, particularly in the defense sector.
The visit comes at a time when the DRC’s military spending has increased significantly, with a 10.4% allocation of the 2023 budget to the defense sector. The country has also implemented a new military programming law and policy document.
The UN Security Council still considers the situation in the DRC as a threat to international peace and security in the region and has requested a confidential report from the government by May 31, 2023, detailing efforts to ensure the security and management of weapons and ammunition stocks, as well as the fight against arms trafficking.