Sudan was among the biggest presenters of military equipment at the 2015 International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, UAE last month, indicating that Khartoum is increasing its efforts to sell weapons abroad, a new report says.
The biannual IDEX conference is a leading military industry convention which this year brought together arms manufacturers from more than 50 countries.
The Geneva-based Small Arms Survey research group, which attended the 2015 conference, said in a new report that Sudan’s Military Industry Corporation (MIC) displayed one of the largest collections of arms and armaments at IDEX this year.
“MIC displayed a wide range of weapons and military equipment, including small arms, light weapons and their ammunition, six military vehicles, two naval boats, communication and optical equipment, and an electronic firing range simulator,” the group said.
Small Arms Survey noted a “marked increase” in the number and types of Sudanese weapons on display compared to previous IDEX conferences, indicating that Sudan is “stepping up efforts to attract international buyers for its military products.”
“Sudan was also a much more prominent participant,” the researchers added. “Sudanese president Omar al Bashir was the only head of state in attendance at the opening ceremony.”
Sudan is the third largest manufacturer of military equipment in Africa, according to Small Arms Survey. Weapons and ammunition manufactured in Sudan have been found in South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Central African Republic.
The Sudanese weapons and ammunition on display in Abu Dhabi were largely of Chinese and Iranian design, while the military vehicles were based on Russian, South Korean, and Bulgarian designs, the research group said.
The full Small Arms Survey report, including photos of Sudan’s military products for display, is available for download below.
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Evidence suggests foreign groups armed S Sudan rebels (25 Jul.)
Khalifa-1 122 mm Self-propelled Howitzer D-30, courtesy Small Arms Survey