Senegalese Armed Forces
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The Armed Forces of Senegal (french: Forces armées du Sénégal) consists of about 17,000 personnel in the army, air force, navy, and gendarmerie. The Senegal military force receives most of its training, equipment, and support from France and the United States. Germany also provides support but on a smaller scale. Military noninterference in political affairs has contributed to Senegal's stability since independence. Senegal has participated in many international and regional peacekeeping missions. Most recently, in 2000, Senegal sent a battalion to the Democratic Republic of Congo to participate in MONUC, the United Nations peacekeeping mission. Senegal also agreed to deploy a United States-trained battalion to Sierra Leone to participate in
UNAMSIL The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2006. It was created by the United Nations Security Council in October 1999 to help with the implementation of the Lom ...
, another UN peacekeeping mission. The training operation was designated Operation Focus Relief and involved U.S. Army Special Forces from
3rd Special Forces Group The 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) – abbreviated 3rd SFG(A) and often simply called 3rd Group – is an active duty United States Army Special Forces (SF) group which was active in the Vietnam Era (1963–69), deactivated, and then react ...
training a number of West African battalions, including Nigerian ones. As one of the largest troop contributors in Africa (per capita) to African Union missions, United Nations missions, and other regional security organizations, the Senegalese military has proven itself to be one of the most effective and reliable militaries on the African continent. This is remarkable given that Senegal is poorer than the average Sub-Saharan African country. Most importantly, the army of Senegal is multi-ethnic, not coup-proofed, and has never attempted a ''coup d'état'', which is a rarity in Africa. Harmonious Senegalese civil-military relations since independence have permitted the creation of an effective 'military enclave' that is a capable institution not a threat to the political leadership in Dakar.


Summary of past military actions

* In October 1980 and August 1981, the Senegalese military was invited into the Gambia by President Dawda Kairaba Jawara to put down a coup attempt. * In August 1989, Senegalese-Gambian military cooperation ceased with the dissolution of the Senegambian Confederation. * In 1990, 500 Senegalese troops were deployed to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Gulf War. 92 of them were killed after the end of the conflict in a plane crash on 21 March 1991. * In 1992 1,500 men were sent to the ECOMOG peacekeeping group in
Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
. * In 1994, a battalion-sized force was sent to
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
to participate in the UN peacekeeping mission there. * Senegal intervened in the Guinea-Bissau civil war in 1998 at the request of former President Vieira. * A Senegalese contingent deployed on a peacekeeping mission to the Central African Republic in 1997. * In 2017, Senegal deployed troops into the Gambia to support newly elected President Adama Barrow, an action legally justified by UN resolution 2337. The Army () is the leading force within the Senegalese armed forces and provides the chief of staff and the .


Army

Since independence the army has gone through a large number of reorganisations. The army's heritage includes the
Tirailleurs sénégalais The Senegalese Tirailleurs (french: Tirailleurs Sénégalais) were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. They were initially recruited from Senegal, French West Africa and subsequently throughout Western, Central and Eastern Africa: ...
. In 1978, Senegal dispatched a battalion to the Inter-African Force in Zaire, in the aftermath of the Shaba II fighting. The Senegalese contingent was under the command of Colonel Osmane Ndoye. The Senegalese force comprised a parachute battalion from
Thiaroye Thiaroye (or Tiaroye) is the name of a historic town in Sénégal, situated in the suburbs of Dakar, on the southeast coast of the Cap-Vert peninsula, between Pikine and Rufisque. Since the administrative reform in 1996, Thiaroye has been divide ...
. The Army currently consists of two divisions, the Operations Division and the Logistic Division. The IISS estimated in 2012 that the Army had a strength of 11,900 soldiers, three armoured battalions the 22nd, 24th, and 25th (at
Bignona Bignona is a town with commune status located in the Ziguinchor Region of Senegal (Casamance). It briefly appears in the movie ''Binta and the Great Idea.'' Its population on 2013 was 27,826. Notable people *Landing Savané, politician *Ibrahi ...
) and the 26th at Kolda; there are six infantry battalions numbered 1st to 6th. 3rd Battalion may have been at Kaolack with 4th at Tambacounda at one point. Also reported is the 12th Battalion of the 2nd Military Zone at Saint Louis (Dakhar Bango), along with the Prytanée militaire de Saint-Louis, a military secondary school. Although the Senegalese Air Force is geared towards supporting it, the army may have previously maintained its own very small aviation branch, called the "" (like the French army's equivalent), which may have counted up to five light helicopters and two SA330 Puma transport helicopters. The IISS Military Balance 2012 does not list any helicopters in army service.


National Gendarmerie

The Gendarmerie is a military force which provides policing and security. It includes a Territorial Gendarmerie with general policing duties, and a Mobile Gendarmerie for special tasks and serious public disorder. The Senegalese gendarmerie evolved out of a French colonial Spahi detachment sent to Senegal in 1845. This detachment (which became today's
Red Guard of Senegal The Red Guard of Senegal (French: ''Garde Rouge du Sénégal'') is a unit of the Senegalese Gendarmerie that is responsible for presidential security. It also has ceremonial duties and assists in general policing. It is very similar in concept to ...
) was the cadre around which the "Colonial Gendarmerie" was formed. On independence this became the National Gendarmerie. The commander is General Abdoulaye Fall (a different person from the current Armed Forces Chief of Staff of the same name), whose rank is
divisional general Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
, and whose full job title is "High Commander of the Gendarmerie and Director of Military Justice".


Navy

The navy (), also known as the , is of small size and is commanded by a ship-of-the-line captain. It is responsible for securing Senegal's Atlantic coastline which is strategically located on the extreme west of the African continent. The coastline is divided in two by The Gambia. The navy was created in 1975. The Navy operates two bases, one at Dakar and the other at Elinkine. The navy also patrols the territorial waters as well as a declared exclusive economic zone. The Navy is divided into three branches known as "groupings": * The Operational Naval Grouping (), which is divided into three flotillas and one group: ** The High Seas Patrol Boats (), ** The Coastal Surveillance Vessels (), ** The Fast Coastal Boats () and ** The Transport Group (). * The Naval Support Grouping () responsible for ports, repairs, training, and logistics. * The
Fluvial In geography and geology, fluvial processes are associated with rivers and streams and the deposits and landforms created by them. When the stream or rivers are associated with glaciers, ice sheets, or ice caps, the term glaciofluvial or fluviog ...
-Maritime Surveillance Grouping.


Air Force

The air force () is orientated towards providing support for ground forces and resembles an army aviation corps. It possesses air-to-air combat aeroplanes, Mil Mi-24 gunship helicopters, as well as transport and reconnaissance aircraft.


Military zones

At the present time, there are seven military zones: * Zone n°1 - Dakar * Zone n°2 - Saint-Louis * Zone n°3 - Kaolack * Zone n°4 - Tambacounda * Zone n°5 - Ziguinchor * Zone n°6 - Kolda * Zone n°7 - Thiès Each zone comprises a garrison office which caters to military issues and a social service office. The IISS Military Balance listed four zones in 2007.


Equipment


Armored cars

* 30 Panhard AML- 60mm 4x4 * 74 Panhard AML- 90mm 4x4 * 70 WMA301/PTL02 105 mm tank hunter * 250
RAM MK3 RAM MK3 (RAM 2000) is a light armored vehicle designed by IAI RAMTA. It is based on a 4×4 wheeled monocoque chassis. History The vehicle was also listed for sale under Mahindra Defense Systems with plans to make the RAM MK3 under license for a f ...
* 10 M8 Greyhound 37mm 6x6 * 4 M20 Greyhound 6x6


Armoured personnel carriers

* 25
Nurol Ejder The Nurol Ejder (; lit. "Dragon") is a family of armoured vehicles produced by Turkish company Nurol Makina. Two versions exists under the Ejder name, a 6x6 version, and a more popular 4x4 version, called Ejder Yalcin. Variants Ejder 6×6 Arm ...
4x4 * 8 Casspir 4x4 * 24 Panhard M3 4x4 * 12 M3 Half-track * some SandCat 4x4 * 6 Dozor-B * 39
PUMA M26-15 The Puma M26-15 4x4 is an armored personnel carrier (APC) with mine and improvised explosive device (IED) protection. The main users are military, police and security companies during peacekeeping operations. The Puma M26 was designed by OTT T ...
Other 'soft-skin' military vehicles not listed by the IISS: * Ford M151 Jeep 4x4 * Reo M-35 6x6 trucks * Reo M-44 6x6 trucks * ACMAT trucks *
M-809 M8 or M-8 or M.08 or ''variant, may refer to: Computing and electronics * M8 (cipher), an encryption algorithm * Leica M8, a digital rangefinder camera * HTC One (M8), a smartphone * Meizu M8, a smartphone Places * Messier 8, also known as M8 ...
6x6 trucks


Artillery

* 6 M-50 155mm Howitzer * 8 TRF1 155mm Howitzer * 6 M-101 105mm Howitzer * 6 KrAZ-6322PA Bastion-01 122mm multiple rocket launcher Mortars: * 8
Brandt Brandt may refer to: Places United States * Brandt, Ohio, an unincorporated community * Brandt, South Dakota, a town * Brandt Township, Polk County, Minnesota Elsewhere * Mount Brandt, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica * Brandt Cove, South Georgia Is ...
81mm medium mortar * 8
Brandt Brandt may refer to: Places United States * Brandt, Ohio, an unincorporated community * Brandt, South Dakota, a town * Brandt Township, Polk County, Minnesota Elsewhere * Mount Brandt, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica * Brandt Cove, South Georgia Is ...
120mm heavy mortar Anti-tank weapons: * 4 MBDA MILAN ATGM Launchers * 31 LRAC F1 89mm Light Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher Air defence weapons: * 21 53-T-2/M-693 20mm AAGs * 12 Bofors L-60 40mm AAGs Source: IISS Military Balance 2012, 450.


Infantry weapons

* MAC Mle 1950 * PAMAS G1 * SIG Sauer P220 * CETME Model L * Colt
M16 The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
A1/A2 * Colt M4 * Colt M723 * Daewoo K1 * FAMAS * IWI Tavor * Norinco CQ * Taurus T4 *
IMI Galatz The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced b ...
* KNT-76 *
SVD Dragunov The SVD (russian: Сна́йперская Винто́вка систе́мы Драгуно́ва образца́ 1963 года, lit=Sniper Rifle, System of Dragunov, Model of the Year 1963, translit=Snáyperskaya Vintóvka sistém'y Dragunóv ...
sniper rifle *
M60 machine gun The M60, officially the Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M60, is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links. There are several types of ammunition approved for ...


Aircraft

Navy * 2 Metal Shark patrol ships * 3 Shaldag MK II patrol ships * 1 Shaldag MK V patrol ships


Citations

Part of this article is derived from the equivalent article at French Wikipedia


References

* *


External links


Website of the Armed Forces of Senegal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Military Of Senegal Law of Senegal Law enforcement in Senegal