Seoul to boost military ties with Africa

By Kang Seung-woo

South Korea is seeking to strengthen military cooperation with African countries on the occasion of President Park Geun-hye’s planned trip to Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya, a defense ministry official said, Tuesday.

The ministry hopes that stronger military ties with African nations will weaken North Korea’s military presence there and help draw African support for international sanctions on Pyongyang.

Park will embark on a trip to Africa, today, accompanied by Vice Defense Minister Hwang In-moo, according to the ministry. Following the trip she will also travel to France before returning home on June 5.

“We cannot reveal details of how we will boost cooperation with the African countries at the moment, but we plan to gradually expand military personnel exchange programs,” the official said.

Among the three African countries, Uganda has maintained long-standing military ties with North Korea.

Since Uganda established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1963 following its independence from Britain in 1962, Pyongyang has been a close security partner for the African country.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in power for three decades, made three visits to Pyongyang in the late 1980s and early 1990s and met North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un.

According to a United Nations (U.N.) report in February, Uganda hosted 45 North Korean police officers who provided training for the country’s paramilitary police as recently as December 2015.

On the other hand, South Korea did not dispatch a defense attache to the East African country until last year to harden the ground for cooperation in the military sector.

While in Uganda, the vice defense minister is expected to meet with his counterpart and other military officials to discuss ways to cooperate in the sector, according to the official.

“The government has carried out preliminary works since last year to begin military cooperation with Uganda. On the occasion of President Park’s visit, the efforts will come to fruition,” the official said.

Cheong Wa Dae expects Park’s trip will help resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

“Uganda is the North’s stronghold in East Africa, so the President’s visit will serve as a great momentum to enhance cooperation with it and other African countries to address the North’s nuclear issue,” said Kim Kyou-hyun, the senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security, in a briefing Sunday.

The government is also eyeing boosting military cooperation with Ethiopia.

According to a U.N. report, Ethiopia, a long–standing arms client of North Korea, has been suspected of violating an arms embargo by buying ammunition from the Korea Mineral Trading General Corp.

Park plans to deliver a speech at the headquarters of the African Union in Ethiopia and is expected to ask the North’s African allies to join the international move to press North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.

“If South Korea and African countries strengthen military cooperation, it would help cut off North Korea’s exports of arms to Africa,” the military official said.

“The so-called military diplomacy will also beef up international coordination in putting pressure on North Korea.”

The repressive state has beefed up its presence in Africa behind illegal arms sales.

Earlier this month, U.N. experts said North Korea supplied troops and police with pistols and sent 30 instructors to provide training for the presidential guard and special forces of Congo. It was also found to have built an arms and ammunition factory in Namibia. Both of these violated U.N sanctions banning Pyongyang from exporting weapons or providing military training.