Defence Expenditures, Arms Procurement and Corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa

What is arms procurement?

The process by which governments acquire military equipment, weapons, and technology for national defense.

What initiative did the UK's DFID launch in 2007 to combat corruption in military spending in Sub-Saharan Africa?

The TIDE (Transparency in Defence Expenditure) initiative.

Why did the TIDE initiative fail?

It focused only on corrupt African officials while ignoring Western arms companies and banks, revealing double standards.

What are some key problems with measuring corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Unreliable data, weak military expenditure statistics, and countries hiding military spending from donors.

What paradoxical finding is noted regarding military spending in less corrupt countries?

Less corrupt countries like Botswana and Namibia often report higher military spending than more corrupt ones.

What are some off-budget funding mechanisms used by countries for military operations?

Natural resource predation, asset transfers, taxes and levies, shadow trade, humanitarian aid diversion, external military assistance, diaspora contributions, and prolonged conflict.

What percentage of all corrupt transactions does the arms trade account for?

50%, despite being less than 1% of world trade.

What is the estimated annual value of global defence sector corruption?

Conservative estimate of $20 billion per year.

What complex payment methods are used in arms procurement?

Offset and counter-trade, which create opportunities for inflated costs.

What scandal involved Portuguese banks handling $54 billion in transfers?

The 'Angolagate' scandal.

What was the value of South Africa's Strategic Arms Procurement Package in 1999?

$4.8 billion.

What was a significant issue with the oversight of South Africa's Arms Deal?

Corruption flourished due to the size and complexity of the deal.

What hypocrisy problem is associated with the DFID's anti-corruption efforts?

It focused only on African corruption while ignoring the involvement of British companies.

What was the status of bribes to foreign officials before the 1997 OECD Anti-Bribery Convention?

Bribes were legal and considered normal.

What are some consequences of corruption in arms procurement for African countries?

Diverts resources from education and health, contributes to national debt, and undermines state security.

What structural obstacles hinder reform in military spending in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Lack of qualified accountants, weak legal accountability, and national security being used as an excuse to bypass oversight.

What are some proposed solutions to combat corruption in arms procurement?

Enforce the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, condition export licenses on anti-corruption compliance, and improve internal auditing systems.

What is the overarching conclusion regarding corruption in arms procurement?

It is a transnational web linking Western arms companies, corrupt African officials, global financial institutions, and Western governments.