Bashir says more money be spent on security and defence

December 13, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese President Omer Hassan dismissed criticism on the high share of the budget allocated to the army and security apparatus saying that this still falls short of what is needed.

In remarks before at the Air Force headquarters on Sunday, Bashir pledged to provide support for the manufacture of high-grade combat and military gear. He also praised the leaders of the industrial military complex for their efforts in the transfer of military technology.

“We are determined to build an air force that would, as soon as it exists, would be capable of offering protection and safety for Sudan and provide the ability to reach and hit any site so that it is a deterrent force to secure the country and block any [party that has] greed over the land of Sudan,” Bashir said according to pro-government Ashorooq TV.

“In the absence of security, we will lose anything. Take a look at the countries around us that have lost security,” he added.

“We want to have our own arms industry and do not want to be consumers for the production of others” the Sudanese president said.

“Some voices that speak on the street or in the media about the armed forces budget, I say that if 100% of the state’s budget was allocated to the army to secure the country then that is still not enough,” he explained.

Last September, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the British Ambassador Michael Aron to protest statements he made to a local newspaper in which he addressed the situation in Darfur and debt relief.

Aron told al-Meghar al-Siyasi newspaper that it is impossible to cancel Sudan’s debt as the government spends 70% of the budget on security and military functions and not on health, education and other sectors.

(ST)