Militarization in Sudan: Trends and Determinants

Abstract

This article surveys the recent trends of various militarization indicators in the Sudan. It shows that the Sudanese army has played appreciable roles in the national movement and in the postindependence period. The military establishment has also played different roles and witnessed big changes under the consequent national governments. However, the variations in the size of the armed forces, arms imports and total military expenditure were significantly influenced by the nature of the government, threat perceptions and, foremost, by the civil war in Southern Sudan. Economic conditions did not play any systematic role in determining military allocations in the 1963-1985 period. Considerable resources could be released to developmental and economic growth projects if the country can achieve peace and political instability.