Ethiopia, Kenya raise military spend as East Africa arms budget hits $104 million
A participant stands at a VPK-Ural armoured multipurpose vehicle during the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum, in Sochi, Russia. Official data shows that Russia accounted for 49 per cent of arms exports to Africa in 2019. PHOTO | AFP | SPUTNIK
Eastern African countries spent $104 million on arms last year as Ethiopia and Kenya raced to modernise their defense systems, even as Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda reduced their military spending in the same period.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) 2019 Arms transfer database report shows that Ethiopia topped military spending in the region, paying $71 million to arms suppliers last year, the highest in the region. The bulk of the money was set aside for modernising its air defense systems.
