African leaders need 4.5 cars each

From the Telegraph:

How many cars does it take to drive 53 African Presidents around town? The answer, revealed in Sudan’s official press, is an extraordinary 1,244.

This vast convoy has been set aside for the African Union summit in Khartoum which kicks off in earnest with the arrival of the cavalcade of Big Men on Monday.

The city is already echoing to the wail of sirens and the screech of motorcades. The cost of ferrying around the portly, arrogant and pompous leaders of the world’s most impoverished continent must be astronomical.

Of the 1,244 cars, 237 are reserved for the presidents themselves – so they have 4.5 gleaming black limousines each. Another 669 have been set aside for their assortment of flunkies and no less than 338 are being held in reserve – because you never know when you might need another car if you have a mere 4.5 at your personal disposal.

All this is revealed with an air of triumph in "Sudan Vision", a risible official daily capable of carrying headlines like "Africa Chockfull of Amusing Cultures". Such a colossal waste of resources is an absolute scandal.

From the comments:

What sickens me about this is that these luxury vehicles, particularly in the case of countries such as Swaziland and Zimbabwe, are funded by international aid money which should be going towards feeding the starving and providing drugs for the sick. The reality is that evil and despotic leaders are fattening themselves and their bank accounts whilst their people are dying by the thousands.
Posted by Mike Preston on January 21, 2006 11:34 PM