Kinshasa bets big on security: why Emirati armored vehicles are raining down on the DRC

Kinshasa: geopolitics of a security race

Kinshasa is witnessing a parade of armored columns. Emirati vehicles are arriving by the dozen, coming from Abu Dhabi to boost security in the east but also in the capital. As early as February 2024, Calidus MCAV-20s, the result of cooperation with the Emirates, were visible on the outskirts of Goma, as part of anti-M23 operations . In July 2023, a parade in the capital highlighted these vehicles, lined up under the cameras during a show of force by the Republican Guard .

April-May 2025 saw a new, larger batch arrive: around a hundred Kasser II armored vehicles were delivered by the Emirati company International Golden Group via the port of Matadi. This flow is part of a vast program initiated three years ago following a strong diplomatic engagement as far away as Abu Dhabi: 30 armored vehicles were promised in 2021 as part of a comprehensive cooperation agreement .

Emirati armored vehicles: operational capabilities and myths

The models delivered are far from insignificant. The Calidus MCAV-20, a robust 4x4, offers mobility and protection for Republican Guard units. As for the Kasser II, a powerful Emirati MRAP, it is designed to resist mines and ambushes, a definite asset for countering ambushes in the east of the country.

These armored vehicles significantly improve the capabilities of protected personnel carriers (PPCs) and mobile patrols. This is evidenced by their preemptive use in sensitive areas of Kinshasa, particularly by the Republican Guard, a strong signal sent to any potential dissent.

Multiple issues: security, political signal and diplomatic pressure

Armored reinforcement serves several purposes:

• Urban control : the presence of armored vehicles in Kinshasa reassures and deters; it demonstrates a muscular security doctrine, assumed by the authorities.

• Projection to the East : Armored vehicles strengthen the military posture against the M23, echoing the still-high tensions in the east.

• Strategic alliances : in exchange for military cooperation, the DRC offers mining concessions (copper, cobalt) as part of a broader deal with the Emirates.

• Communication operation : showing these armored vehicles, in Kinshasa as elsewhere, serves the power in place through a demonstration of power in the face of the opposition or the street.

For the Emirates, this alliance opens up a regional outlet, allows them to strengthen their soft power, and doubles as an economic strategy: defense contracts generate profits and diplomatic influence.

A rise in power under observation

The massive arrival of armored vehicles triggers debates:

• Some believe that priority should be given to police reform and the socio-economic development of working-class neighborhoods.

• Others warn that overemphasizing the military apparatus in urban areas can undermine civil-military trust, and even create tensions between a distrustful population and forces perceived as highly militarized.

But for the government, this armored program is part of a global two-tier security strategy: preventing internal insurrections and projecting a credible defensive posture in the face of threats, particularly in the east.

Kinshasa has entered a new era of security, where armored vehicles are no longer the sole preserve of conflict zones. By investing heavily in sophisticated equipment from the Emirates, the capital is signaling its ambition to deliver "high-level security" without sacrificing the imperatives of social peace. The challenge is as much political as it is security-related: operational efficiency may be the order of the day, but dialogue with civil society and institutional strengthening will remain the true test of this new armored world.