Djibouti Armed Forces
| Military of Djibouti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Service branches | Air Force Navy |
| Personnel | |
| 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.) |
| Reaching military age annually | (2000 est.) |
| Active personnel | 20,000 (2012est.) |
| Reserve personnel | 5,000 |
| Deployed personnel |  Somalia - 300 |
| Expenditure | |
| 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 Djibouti Armed Forces are the military forces of Djibouti and consist of the Djibouti National Army and its sub-branches the Djibouti Air Force and Djiboutian Navy. It is located on the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab with a foothold on the Red Sea.
History
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.
Foreign military within Djibouti
France
France's 5e RIAOM are currently stationed in Djibouti.
United States of America
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]
Japan
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.[7][8]
Equipments
 |
Armoured vehicles
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-72 | Main battle tank | USSR | some 42 on order. |
| Ratel IFV | Infantry fighting vehicle | South Africa | |
| Panhard AML | Light armoured car | France | |
| BTR-80 | Armoured personnel carrier | USSR | |
| BTR-70 | Armoured personnel carrier | USSR | |
| BTR-60 | Armoured personnel carrier | USSR | |
| Humvee | Light Armored Car | USA | |
| ACMAT | None | France | |
| Véhicule Blindé Léger | all-terrain vehicle | France | |
| Casspir | Armored personnel carrier | South Africa |
Artillery
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BM-21 Grad | Multiple rocket launcher | USSR | 5 on order |
| Type 63 multiple rocket launcher | Multiple rocket launcher | China | |
| 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) | Howitzer | USSR | |
| 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 |
Light weapons
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mk 19 grenade launcher | Automatic grenade launcher | USA | |
| APILAS | Anti-tank weapon | France | |
| LARC-89 | Anti-tank weapon | France | |
| RPG-7 | Rocket-propelled grenade | USSR | |
| M40 recoilless rifle | Recoilless rifle | USA |
Air Defense
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-693\53-T-2 20mm | Anti-Aircraft Twin Autocannon | France | |
| ZU-23-2 | Anti-Aircraft Twin Autocannon | USSR | |
| Bofors 40 mm | Autocannon | Sweden |
Unarmoured vehicles
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)
Small arms
Pistols
Sub-machine guns
Rifles
Machine guns
Grenade launchers
References
- ^ a b Djibouti Military Profile 2006
- ^ Military of Djibouti
- ^ Saheed A. Adejumobi, The History of Ethiopia, (Greenwood Press: 2006), p.178
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc, Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 1, (Encyclopaedia Britannica: 2005), p.163
- ^ United States military deployments: Information from Answers.com
- ^ Hajime Furukawa (2011-05-29). "Djibouti base 'in natl interests'". The Daily Yomiuri. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
- ^ a b "SDF readies overseas base in Djibouti / 1st outpost abroad to help fight piracy". The Daily Yomiuri. 2011-05-29. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
- ^ Yoichi Kato (2011-08-25). "SDF's New Anti-Piracy Base Creates Dilemma". International Relations and Security Network.
