AES /Military spending explodes with 1,121 billion FCFA: Burkina Faso is in the lead

Since the start of the decade, intra-national conflicts (rebellion, coups, terrorism) have increased in Africa, mainly within the countries of the franc zone. This situation has led to an increase in military spending, which is the amount of money that a state devotes to its armed forces, in particular to the training of soldiers, the maintenance of equipment and even military infrastructure. 
Over the period 2022-2023, UEMOA and CEMAC countries have allocated respectively 3.29 billion USD (2,015 billion FCFA) and 1.25 billion USD (763 billion FCFA) to military spending. Overall, these two regions devoted 4.53 billion USD (2,778 billion FCFA), year-on-year, to armaments. Among these countries, ten were the largest providers of these funds, positioning them as the countries having invested the most in military spending. 
At the head of this ranking, we find Burkina Faso. Currently led by a military junta, the country of Thomas Sankara has devoted nearly 793.4 million USD (486.4 billion FCFA) to the military budget. It is closely followed by its AES companion, Mali, with 727.4 million USD (445.96 billion FCFA). 

Côte d'Ivoire, the largest economy in the franc zone, has also invested in its army in terms of human and technical capital, which represented a bill of 636 million USD (413.79 billion FCFA) and allowing it to occupy the third place in this ranking. Cameroon follows (414 million USD, or 253 billion FCFA), Senegal (412 million USD, or 252 billion FCFA) and Chad (339 million USD, or 207 billion FCFA). 
The political tensions recorded in Niger have also increased the military budget. This AES country allocated 309 million USD (189.4 billion FCFA) and is in seventh position. Congo, Togo and Equatorial Guinea close this top 10 with respectively 268 million USD (164.3 billion FCFA), 256 million USD (156.9 billion FCFA) and 154 million USD (94.4 billion FCFA). 
In addition, this high allocation of the budget to military spending is also seen both at the continental and global level. Indeed, according to sources consulted by Sika Finance, African countries spent $48.45 billion in 2023 compared to $40.42 billion in 2022. An increase of 33% driven mainly by Algeria, Egypt and Morocco, which alone account for 52% of the total figure allocated to the military budget in Africa. 
Globally, the trend is similar. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute recorded an investment of $2,443 billion in military spending in 2023. This represents an increase of 6.8% over a decade. This increase is attributed to the various conflicts shaking the world, such as the Russian-Ukrainian and Israeli-Palestinian wars, which are leading to inflation in spending.