Zimbabwe's Possible Arms Deals with China and Iran

Members of Zimbabwe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) held meetings with top Iranian and Chinese military officials in early March with the intent of strengthening military cooperation. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe hosted a delegation headed by China's People's Liberation Army Adm. Tong Shiping from March 7 to March 10. Defense Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa visited Tehran from March 9 to March 13 to meet with his Iranian counterpart, Ahmad Vahidi, as well as with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

Though all parties kept their rhetoric vague, Zimbabwe likely signed deals with these countries for the delivery of military equipment for ZANU-PF's military arm, the Zimbabwean Defense Forces. These actions are part of ZANU-PF's efforts to strengthen its military ahead of Zimbabwe's presidential election, scheduled to occur no later than April 2013. With the election process sure to be rife with controversy, the ruling party is taking steps to ensure its continued dominance through military control.