Armed Forces of Senegal


The Armed Forces of Senegal 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, another UN peacekeeping mission. The training operation was designated Operation Focus Relief and involved U.S. Army Special Forces from 3rd Special Forces Group training a number of West African battalions, including Nigerian ones.
As one of the largest troop contributors in Africa 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 that is not a threat to the political leadership in Dakar.

Lists of Chiefs of Defense Staff Senegal


Summary of past military actions

The Army is the leading force within the Senegalese armed forces and provides the chief of staff and the Inspecteur général des forces armées.

Army

Since independence the army has gone through a large number of reorganisations. The army's heritage includes the Tirailleurs sénégalais. 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.
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 and the 26th Bataillon de reconnaissance et d'Appui 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, along with the :fr:Prytanée militaire de Saint-Louis|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 "Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre", 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 was the cadre around which the "Colonial Gendarmerie" was formed. On independence this became the National Gendarmerie.
The commander is General Abdoulaye Fall, whose rank is Divisional General, and whose full job title is "High Commander of the Gendarmerie and Director of Military Justice".

Navy

The navy, also known as the Armée de mer, 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 air force is orientated towards providing support for ground forces and resembles an army aviation corps. It has no air-to-air combat aircraft, but possesses Mil Mi-24 gunship helicopters, transport helicopters and aeroplanes, and reconnaissance helicopters and aeroplanes. This small force is commanded by a colonel.

Military zones

At the present time, there are seven military zones:
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

Other 'soft-skin' military vehicles not listed by the IISS:
Mortars:
Anti-tank weapons:
Air defence weapons:
Source: IISS Military Balance 2012, 450.

Aircraft

Citations

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