Military of Burundi
| National Defence Force | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Service branches |
Army Gendarmerie |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Pres. Pierre Nkurunziza |
| Minister of National Defense & War Veterans | Maj. General Pontien Gaciyubwenge |
| Manpower | |
| Active personnel |
20,000 Army personnel 30,000 paramilitary[1] |
| Expenditures | |
| Percent of GDP | 3.7% (2011)[1] |
The National Defence Force is the state military organisation responsible for the defence of Burundi. A general staff (État-Major Général) commands the armed forces, consisting of a joint staff (État-Major inter-armes); a training staff (État-Major de la Formation), and a logistics staff (État-Major de la Logistique). Naval and aviation commands exist, as well as specialised units.[2]
Use of Child Soldiers
According to the 2004 report by Child Soldiers International Burundi military forces made use of conscripted child soldiers. Children in military service where also subjected to military courts which fell short of international law. [3]
The armed forces have deployed significant numbers of troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia since c. 2007.
Units include:
- 22nd commando battalion (Gitega)
- 124th commando battalion (Bujumbura)
Equipment
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Anti-tank weapons
| Model | Origin | Type |
|---|---|---|
| RL-83 Blindicide[4] | Belgium | Rocket launcher |
| M20 Super Bazooka[4] | United States | Rocket launcher |
| MILAN (reported)[1] | France/Germany | Anti-tank Guided Missile |
| RPG 7[5] | Soviet Union | Rocket launcher |
Vehicles
| Model | Type | Origin | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panhard M3 | Armored Personnel Carrier | France | 9[1] |
| GAZ BTR-80 | Armored Personnel Carrier | Russia | 10[1] |
| Panhard AML-90 | Armored Car | France | 12[1] |
| Panhard AML-60 | Armored Car | France | 6[1] |
| BRDM-2 | Reconnaissance Vehicle | Soviet Union | 30[1] |
| BTR-40 | Armored Personnel Carrier | Soviet Union | 20[1] |
| Shorland S-52 | Armored Car | United Kingdom | 7[1] |
| Walid | Armored Personnel Carrier | Egypt | 6[1] |
| RG-31 | Armored Personnel Carrier | South Africa | 12[1] |
| RG-31 Nyala | Armored Personnel Carrier | South Africa | 31[1] |
Artillery
- 12 BM-21 Grad 122mm MRLS[1]
- 18 D-30 122mm towed-howitzer[1]
- 15 M-37\43 82mm medium-mortar[1]
- Approx. 75 Brandt 120mm heavy mortar[1]
Anti-aircraft weapons
- 30 SA-7B Grail MANPADS Launchers\303 missiles[4]
- 15 ZPU 14.5mm AAG[4]
- Over 150 ZU-23\2 23mm twin-gun AAG[4]
- M-1939\Type-55 37mm AAG[4]
Aircraft inventory
The Burundi Army's air unit operates 10 aircraft, including one combat aircraft and six helicopters (of which two are non-operational as at 2012).[4]
| Aircraft | Type | Versions | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelle | utility helicopter | SA 342L | 2[4] | |
| Mil Mi-8 Hip |
utility helicopter |
Mi-8 |
2[4] | Both non-operational As of 2012[4] |
| Cessna 150 | liaison | 2[4] | ||
| Douglas DC-3 | Transport | 2[4] | ||
| Mil Mi-24 Hind Hind-E | attack helicopter | 2[4] | ||
| SIAI-Marachetti SF 260 |
trainer |
SF-260P |
1[4] |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 IISS (2012), p. 424
- ↑ "LOI N° 1/019 DU 31 DECEMBRE 2004 Portant Creation, Organisation, MISSIONS, COMPOSITION ET FONCTIONNEMENT DE LA FORCE DE DEFENSE NATIONALE" (PDF). Grandslacs.net. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ↑ Child Soldiers International, "2004 Africa: Regional overview"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 IISS (2012), p. 425
- ↑ "Kateholt.com : Galleries". Kateholt.com. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
References
- International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2012). The Military Balance 2012. London: IISS. ISSN 0459-7222.
- http://issat.dcaf.ch/content/download/62427/1033023/file/Burundi%20lesson%20learned%20report_Final%20ENGLISH1.pdf - Burundi DEfence Review Lessons Learned
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