Australian companies are selling munitions and military technology to war-torn African countries under a Defence Department plan that critics have branded “grotesque” and unethical.
An SBS Dateline story published today shows that the Australian defence department has approved the sale of an estimated $5 billion worth of military equipment in 2019/20 – more than the typical yearly export value of Australian wine, wool or wheat.
MAPW Executive Officer Elise West told Dateline that Australia needs to be more transparent, particularly to demonstrate it is meeting international obligations:
“We really know very little about what Australia exports, where the exports go and how they’re ultimately used. That’s quite deliberate.”
“Transparency is important because Australia has both domestic and international obligations that relate to arms exports – when approving exports, Australia has to consider its obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty, for example.”
“But we don’t know who makes these decisions, and what information is used when the decisions are made.”