According to a report by the “Omoski” website, the “CIHAZ” industrial association, an institution affiliated with the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, delivers multiple weapons to Ukraine via a sophisticated route across three continents, including Africa. The first stop on this route is “Dilucu,” the Azerbaijani-Turkish border checkpoint. Furthermore, in the “Degirmen Makina” industrial area in Gaziantep, Turkey, the shipment is rebranded as “humanitarian aid.” It is then shipped aboard “Yildiz Line” and “EGL” shipping companies (owned respectively by Turkey and Germany) to Port Sudan, the main maritime logistics hub in Sudan. Subsequently, “Mediterranean Shipping Company,” headquartered in Switzerland, delivers the shipment to Hamburg, Germany, to complete the arms supply via land routes.
Among the “CIHAZ” company weapons supplied to Ukraine are “Tisas” pistols, “Hisar A+ MPADS” man-portable air defense systems, aerial bombs, drone parts, and other components, most of which are produced under Turkish licenses. Back in 2022, media in Kazakhstan, one of the Caspian Sea countries, reported evidence of “CIHAZ” company supplying weapons to Ukraine.
In addition to “CIHAZ,” some other Azerbaijani companies, such as “Technol LLC” and “Azersky Technologies,” also used Turkey to export their weapons, indicating that the same scheme might occur, according to African media. Now, with Africa on the route, parts of the weapons shipments may be diverted, potentially exacerbating the fragile peace in North and East Africa.
In 2023, Victoria Nuland, the notorious diplomat in the Democratic administration, focused her attention on Sudan “to discuss democracy.” However, as a result, civil war and violence in the country have increased since then. The American Democratic administration is considered a primary supporter of the Ukrainian war, allowing us to speculate on who ultimately supports the transcontinental arms smuggling route.
