Sochi (Russia) (AFP)

State-of-the-art Kalashnikovs, anti-aircraft systems and facial recognition programs: The Russian military complex exhibited at the first Russia-Africa forum all its panoply to charm the African continent, which weighs heavily in its backlog.

"Africa represents 40% of the volume of the current order book, both in terms of value and deliveries of different types of weapons and military equipment", assured AFP Alexander Mikheev, boss of Rosoboronexport , the Russian public company in charge of arms sales.

In the alleys of the first Russian-African economic forum in Sochi, where Vladimir Putin has received since Wednesday more than forty African heads of state and government, the booths of arms companies take the lion's share.

The state-owned Rostec conglomerate, which includes most of the Russian military-industrial complex, is represented by Kalashnikov, the manufacturer of the Almaz-Antey anti-aircraft and armored systems and the Pribor munitions producer.

Russian and African businessmen are hurrying to manipulate the latest automatic rifles, get their picture taken with their handguns or leaf through the "Catalog of Infantry Weapons and Close Combat Weapons" translated into French and Portuguese for the occasion.

"South Africa uses older models, so if you want to keep the same ammunition, they will be compatible with these new weapons, and we adapt them to the needs of our customers," says a representative of the stand, helping a man to take in hand a trendy Kalashnikov.

"It's light!", He exclaims, before sliding: "I am a doctor in South Africa but it interests me personally", then to go away to take part in a panel on medical cooperation .

Behind him, a Rosoboronexport representative sings the praises of the "world's most accurate" face recognition system to guarantee "secure borders", "protect state infrastructure" and "fight illegal trafficking".

- $ 12 billion in contracts -

"We have about $ 12 billion in signed and paid contracts, twenty (African) countries are working with Russia today, and this year we are delivering nine African countries", including Rwanda, Mozambique, Uganda, and Uganda. Angola, takes the head of Rosoboronexport.

According to him, nearly "80% of what Africa buys us is air equipment: helicopter gunships, planes, systems (air defenses) Tor, Bouk and S-300", says-t -he.

"More than 900 helicopters produced by Russian Helicopters are registered in African countries, almost a quarter of the helicopters on the continent," said the CEO of Russian Helicopters in a statement.

A large part of these contracts also concern the training of personnel in the framework of military cooperation agreements signed between Russia and African countries, as well as programs for the "modernization and repair" of old armaments.

At the end of the first day, Ethiopia bought a Pantsir-S1 missile defense system, a product that is also of interest to Cameroon. But no major contract is planned at the forum, says Rosoboronexport.

This is not for lack of request: the Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra on Wednesday urged Vladimir Putin to strengthen Russian military assistance to the Central African Republic, including deliveries of "heavier weapons".

Since 2018, the Central African Republic has received Russian arms thanks to the easing of the embargo on this country devastated by a civil war.

Namibian President Hage Geingob also told the Russian president that his army "was interested in the help of Russian military advisers".

On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin said that Russia will continue to help African countries by clearing their debts. A method already used by Moscow to get in the door in Algeria and Libya in the 2000s, erasing the debt in exchange for gigantic arms contracts.

The boss of Rosoboronexport confirms this method of "state support" for arms contracts: "the cancellation of debts, loans granted by the State, the payment of installments, loans from Russian banks", lists- there.

"It all depends on the partner, his (financial) capacity, we see on a case-by-case basis, for us even a 20 or 30,000 euro contract is important to provide spare parts or train specialists".

© 2019 AFP