Jungle clips and smurfs
Yup, there are three if not four 30 round mags jungle clipped together here.
Above is a Burundi policemen of the Gendarmerie Nationale with his trusty RPK in an image taken during increased tensions in that country via Reuters.
Once part of Kaiser Willy’s Germany, the Belgians inherited the area in 1918 and, since they left in 1962 the region has had a couple of failed coups, tensions between Tutsi and Hutu (just like in neighboring Rwanda though not quite as genocidal) and civil war.
If you ask why all the firepower by the blue-camouflaged police (good choice for a Central African paramilitary force, right?), it should be noted that the 20,000 man Army which uses conscripted child soldiers, is primarily Tutsi, while the 30,000-man police force is traditionally dominated by Hutu. Peace through mutually assured destruction in a way, effective power sharing in another. And while the Army definitely uses a strong hand, the police are also known to help disappear individuals pretty often as well.
Both forces are primarily equipped with Combloc small arms systems though a few French and South African platforms (Gazelle helicopters, RG-31 Nyala APCs) have been acquired since 1989.
Still, its hard to go wrong with a 10-pound light machine gun capable of draining a 30-round mag in about 3 seconds when needed.
Hence the jungle mags.
