Cote D’Ivoire military
Index
1. Order of battle
2. Overview
3. Defence economics
4. State of military forces
5. Threat report
6. External deployments
1. Order of Battle
| Total force strength | Not known. Approximately 15 000 Army, Air Force and Navy personnel under Laurent Gbagbo. |
| Army | |
| Armour | 10: T–55 (likely unserviceable) 5: AMX-13 |
| Reconnaissance | 8: AML–60 6: AML-90 13: BRDM–2 6: ERC–90F4 Sagaie |
| AIFV | 10: BMP-1/2 |
| APC | 10: VAB 12: M-3 Panhard 10: Mamba 6: BTR 80 |
| Towed artillery | 4: M-1950 105 mm |
| Multiple Rocket Launcher | 6: BM-21 122 mm |
| Mortar | 10: M-37 81 mm 16: AM-50 120 mm |
| Anti-armour | ?: AT-14 Kornet (Reported) STRIM-89 |
| Recoilless rifle | 12: M-40A1 |
| Rocket launcher | ?: RPG-7 Knout 73 mm ?: LRAC 89 mm |
| Air defence gun | 10: ZU-32-2 23 mm 5: L-60 40 mm |
| Air defence missile | ?: SA-7 Grail |
| Structure | 1 armoured battalion 3 infatnry battalions 1 artillery battalion 1 air defence company 1 engineers company |
| Air Force | |
| Training | 7: Alpha Jet |
| Combat helicopter | 1: Mi-24 Hind |
| Transport helicopter | 3: SA-330L Puma 2: SA 316/319 Alouette III 3: SA 365 |
| Transport | 1: An-12 |
| VIP | Gulfstream III |
| Navy | |
| Patrol/Strike boat (Gun/Missile/OPV/IPV) | 2: L’Ardent class missile fast attack craft (French Patra type) 2: Vigilant type patrol craft 1: Batral type landing ship 1: Intrepide class 2: Rodman class (Fishery protection only) |
2. Overview
President and Defence Minister: Alassane Ouattara
Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces: Div Gen Soumaila Bakayoko
Member of: UN, AU, Seabeds Committee
3. Defence economics
Defence budget percentage per GDP (2000-2010)
Defence budget per US$ Mil (2000-2011)
Defence budget percentage growth (2000-2011)
4. State of military forces
The state of Cote d’Ivoire’s armed forces remains unclear, as the country is still recovering from the 2010-11 political crisis which resulted in the deaths of 3 000 people following a disputed presidential election in which ex-President Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power to President Alassane Ouattara. Plans were announced in August 2011 to disarm and demobilize around 10 000 militia fighters and integrate some with the regular army. It is estimated that 64 500 ex-fighters have yet to be disarmed and that there are 1-3 million weapons circulating in the country. 30 000 ex-combatants are set to be demobilized in 2013, with some being hired by the government.
The military has been criticized for the slow rate of integrating and demobilizing fighters, for human rights abuses and ethnic and political divisions. Nevertheless, it is one of the main forces providing much-needed internal security in Cote d’Ivoire. Armed gangs remain a concern for the country – in one case in June 2012 they killed seven UN peacekeepers.
In light of ongoing security challenges in Cote d’Ivoire, the United Nations has approximately 9 000 personnel deployed in the country as part of the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), but the UN foresees reducing its presence over the next several years. France has around 450 troops and several aircraft and other assets deployed to support and assist UNOCI (the Licorne force).
The status of Cote d’Ivoire’s navy and air force are unclear, especially as the air force was largely destroyed by French troops in November 2004, following a deadly attack on French soldiers. Apparently seven aircraft were destroyed, leaving only eight military aircraft in operation. Further conflict and the second civil war took their toll on the air arm and at present it is doubtful if there are any operational aircraft in the inventory.
5. Country threat report
| Threat type | Overview |
| External | • Cote D’Ivoire is currently facing no external security threat. |
| Internal | • Sporadic cross border raids attributed to former government forces in exile are continuing in the west of the country. |
| Regional | • The security situation in neighboring Liberia and Mali may affect the country’s foreign security policy making. |
| Political | • Cote D’Ivoire is currently considered to be politically stable. |
| Economic | • Cote D’Ivoire’s economy is highly dependent on agriculture and nearly 70 percent of the country’s population engages in some form of agriculture. |
6. External deployments
| Operation | Country | Personnel/assets |
| Assistance (due for deployment late April 2013) | Mali | 235 |
Contact details:
Ministry of Defence
Bvld Nangui Abrogoua
P.O. Box V-11
Abidjan
Cote d’Ivoire
Tel +225 320 288
Telex 22855
Armed Forces HQ
c/o Ministry of Defence
Tel +225 320 366
Note: The information presented here is as accurate as possible but errors and omissions may occur.
