UK spends millions for Sudan and Congo army

LONDON

Al-Bashir (L) has been indicted for war crimes by the international court. REUTERS photo

The British government has spent millions of dollars on training military, police and security personnel from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, regimes considered to be oppressive by the international community and that have arms embargoes in place, daily Guardian reported.

According to the report, both countries have received $3.9 million between them in training and support for military and defense personnel in the last five years from the U.K. government. Sudan is the only country in the world where the sitting president, Omar al-Bashir, has been indicted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the international criminal court.

In the Congo extensive human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings and torture have been documented. In information revealed in a freedom of information response from the Ministry of Defense a total of some $122,000 has been spent on providing 44 week-long courses at the elite Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst for Sudanese and Congolese forces.

Other support includes military logistics, advanced command and staff courses, strategic intelligence and evaluating challenges to state sovereignty.

A total of some $1,545,000 was spent on international peace support, which includes border security and stabilization.