| Military of Djibouti |
|
|---|---|
| Founded | 1977 |
| Service branches | Air Force Navy |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Available for military service |
106,287, age 18–49 (2000 est.) |
| Fit for military service |
62,496, age 18–49 (2000 est.) |
| Active personnel | 12,000 (2011 est.) |
| Reserve personnel | 1,000 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $29.05 million (2005 est.)[1] |
| Percent of GDP | 4.3% (2005 est.)[1] |
| Related articles | |
| History | Djiboutian Civil War Djiboutian–Eritrean border conflict |
The Military of Djibouti consists of the Djibouti National Army. It is located on the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab with a foothold on the Red Sea.
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The Military of Djibouti is officially referred to as the Djibouti Armed Forces (Forces Armees Djiboutiennes, FAD). It includes the Djibouti National Army, which consists of the Coastal Navy, the Djiboutian Air Force (Force Aerienne Djiboutienne, FAD), and the National Gendarmerie (GN).[2]
Historically, Somali society accorded prestige to the warrior (waranle) and rewarded military prowess. Except for a man of religion (wadaad), and they were few in number, all Somali males were considered potential warriors. Djibouti's many Sultanates each maintained regular troops. In the early Middle Ages, the conquest of Shewa by the Ifat Sultanate ignited a rivalry for supremacy with the Solomonic Dynasty.
Many similar battles were fought between the succeeding Sultanate of Adal and the Solomonids, with both sides achieving victory and suffering defeat. During the protracted Ethiopian-Adal War (1529-1559), Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi defeated several Ethiopian Emperors and embarked on a conquest referred to as the Futuh Al-Habash ("Conquest of Abyssinia"), which brought three-quarters of Christian Abyssinia under the power of the Muslim Adal Sultanate.[3][4] Al-Ghazi's forces and their Ottoman allies came close to extinguishing the ancient Ethiopian kingdom, but the Abyssinians managed to secure the assistance of Cristóvão da Gama's Portuguese troops and maintain their domain's autonomy. However, both polities in the process exhausted their resources and manpower, which resulted in the contraction of both powers and changed regional dynamics for centuries to come.
The first war which involved the Djiboutian armed forces, was the Djiboutian Civil War between the Djiboutian government, supported by France, and the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD). The war lasted from 1991 to 2001, although most of the hostilities ended when the moderate factions of FRUD signed a peace treaty with the government after suffering an extensive military setback when the government forces captured most of the rebel-held territory. A radical group continued to fight the government, but signed its own peace treaty in 2001. The war ended in a government victory, and FRUD became a political party.
Djibouti has fought in clashes against Eritrea over the Ras Doumeira peninsula, which both countries claim to be under their sovereignty. The first clash occurred in 1996 after a nearly two-months stand-off. In 1999, a political crisis occurred when both sides accused each other for supporting its enemies. In 2008, the countries clashed again when Djibouti refused to return Eritrean deserters and Eritrea responded by firing at the Djiboutian forces. In the following battles, some 44 Djiboutian troops and some estimated 100 Eritreans were killed.
France's 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade and 5e RIAOM are currently stationed in Djibouti.
There is also Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, a U.S. force of more than 3,500, currently deployed in the country at Camp Lemonnier.[5]
Currently, approximately 170 soldiers of the JGSDF and the JMSDF are currently stationed in Djibouti, with their base and naval port recently opening in July 2011.[6][7] JSDF soldiers are based in the "Japanese Facility for Counter-Piracy Mission in Djibouti." and are planned to be based in Djibouti for 10 years as a relay station for any JSDF deployment in East Africa.[8][7]
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-72 | Main battle tank | Soviet Union\ Russia | some 42 on order. |
| Ratel IFV | Infantry fighting vehicle | South Africa | |
| Panhard AML | Light armoured car | France | |
| BTR-80 | Armoured personnel carrier | Russia | |
| BTR-70 | Armoured personnel carrier | Soviet Union | |
| BTR-60 | Armoured personnel carrier | Soviet Union | |
| Humvee | Light Armored Car | USA | |
| ACMAT | None | France | |
| Véhicule Blindé Léger | all-terrain vehicle | France | |
| Casspir | Armored personnel carrier | South Africa |
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BM-21 Grad | Multiple rocket launcher | Soviet Union | |
| Type 63 multiple rocket launcher | Multiple rocket launcher | People's Republic of China | |
| 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) | Howitzer | Soviet Union | |
| OTO Melara Mod 56 | Pack Howitzer | Italy | |
| Mortier 120mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1 | Heavy mortar | France | |
| Brandt MO-81 81mm | medium mortar | France | |
| Brandt M0-60 60mm | light mortar | France |
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mk 19 grenade launcher | Automatic grenade launcher | United States | |
| APILAS | Anti-tank weapon | France | |
| LARC-89 | Anti-tank weapon | France | |
| RPG-7 | Rocket-propelled grenade | Soviet Union | |
| M40 recoilless rifle | Recoilless rifle | United States |
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-693\53-T-2 20mm | Anti-Aircraft Twin Autocannon | France | |
| ZU-23-2 | Anti-Aircraft Twin Autocannon | Soviet Union | |
| Bofors 40 mm | Autocannon | Sweden |
2 M997 Ambulance (USA)
13 Landrover Defender (UK)
4 Mercedes Benz G-Wagen (Germany)
14 Toyota Land Cruiser (Japan)
4 Unimog (Germany)
10 Reo M-35A-2 (USA)
4 TRM-150 (USSR)
3 Ural trucks (Russia)
24x Bereta Mod92FS (Italy)
Mle 50\D (France)
PA-15S (France)
MAC-50 (France)
MAT-49 (France)
FN FAL (Belgium)
400x FAMAS F-1 (France)
50x Colt M4A1\R-979 (USA)
2,300x Colt M16A4 (USA)
4 xM-700\M24SW (USA) S
AKM\MPI-KM (USSR)
AKMS\MPI-KSM (USSR)
AK-47 Kalashnikov (USSR)
Type-56 (China)
SG-540 (Swiss)
Model-58 (Hungary)
H&K G-3A-3 (Germany)
IMI Galil AR (Israel)
Aug AI Steyr (Austria)
AA-52\AAT-NF-1 Char No1\AA-52FM (France)
FN-MAG T-2 60-20 (Belgium)
15x PKTM 7.62mm (USSR)
15x KPV 14.5mm (USSR)
RPD (USSR)
RPK (USSR)
14x Browning M2HB 12.7mm (USA)
NSV 12.7mm (USSR)
6 Type 85 HMG (China)
Colt M203 (USA)
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