Armed Forces of the Republic of Congo

The collapse in 1958 of French Equatorial Africa and the withdrawal of the armed forces of France, which began in August 1960, served as an impetus for the formation of the Congolese armed forces (FAC). Officers were recruited from the Bacongo people, and the top military leadership was represented by French senior officers. Initially, the FAC was divided into the Congo Civil Defense Corps and militias recruited among the country's northern ethnic groups, as well as the Air Force, almost entirely represented by French troops. PIC officially took shape on January 16, 1961 ^[3] .

In 1963, as a result of the August Revolution, Alfons Massamba-Deba came to power in the country, who expelled all French military personnel and advisers and brought together a militia, civil defense corps and the Air Force. Massamba-Deba headed for cooperation, primarily with Maoist China , and to a lesser extent with Cuba and the USSR , diplomatic relations with the United States were severed. He also introduced the Cuban military contingent to the capital of Brazzaville . The repression that began in the mid-1960s led to the formation of the opposition, including in the ranks of the armed forces. The commander of the paratrooper battalion, Captain Marian Nguabi, in June-July 1966 with his paratroopers attempted to overthrow the president, although the Cuban military crushed this uprising, the protests continued. And as a result of this, on September 4, 1968, Alfons Massamba-Deba resigned all his authority. The new leader of the country on December 31, 1968 was Marian Nguabi. The new military-political course was aimed primarily at cooperation with the USSR ^{[3] [4]} .

In 1970, Nguabi was proclaimed the People's Republic of the Congo and the FAC was again reorganized and became known as the People's Army of the Congo. The new officer corps was composed of mboshi people. The equipment produced in the Soviet Union and China was adopted. During the 1970s, the socio-economic situation in the country was constantly complicated. State monopoly led to economic stagnation and financial crisis, the army was also not in the best position. And a number of political purges carried out in the country, affecting the armed forces, led to the undermining of their effectiveness. On March 18, 1977, President Nguabi on his way to the General Staff was killed by several shots to the head by Congolese special forces, led by Captain Barthelemy Kikadidi ^{[3] [5]} . On April 3, 1977, Joaquim Yombi-Opango was declared president. His rule was characterized by a tightening of the regime and the introduction of a permanent curfew. In January 1978, Yombi-Opango appropriated the rank of brigadier general, which happened for the first time in the Congolese army. He also restored diplomatic relations with the United States and established with France ^{[3] [6]} . On February 5, 1979, at an urgently convened meeting of the CBT Central Committee, under pressure from Denis Sassu-Nguesso, the president was forced to relinquish his presidency. On February 8, Sassu Nguesso was declared president of the NRC. With his arrival, the situation in the army stabilized. He confirmed the invariability of the Marxist-Leninist course and adherence to the Nguabi covenants. In 1981, an agreement on friendship and cooperation was concluded with the Soviet Union. In December 1989, a transition to a market economy was announced and a partial amnesty for political prisoners was carried out. In early 1991, Marxism-Leninism, as a state ideology was abolished, the Republic of the Congo was proclaimed. In the 1992 presidential election, Sassu Nguesso lost to his opponent Pascal Lissuba . The organized reforms of Lissuba were reflected in a serious political, economic and military crisis, which grew into a civil war in 1997 ^[3] .

Congo Civil War

In 1993-1994, the country's political parties began to form their own detachments of militias, recruited mainly from youth. The formation of forces from the former military and volunteers supporting the former president (1979-1992), Colonel Denis Sassou Nguesso, also took place. Also in the 1990s, a massive desertion of servicemen who joined the regional militias took place in the armed forces. The confrontation between the former president and current president Pascal Lissuba resulted in the civil war of 1997-1999 , which began on June 5 with the encirclement of the Sassu Nguesso residence in Brazzaville by government forces. On the same day, Sassu Nguesso ordered the loyal units of the militia to oppose the government troops. The army also split: ethnic people from the north supported Sassu Nguesso, and southerners supported Lissubu. Ethnicity has become one of the main criteria for determining one side or another. The confrontation lasted about 4 months. In early October of the same year, the Angolan government, which supported Sassu Nguesso, sent troops to the country. On October 14, President Lissuba was forced to flee the capital. Within two days, Sassu Nguesso took control of the capital. After the fall of Pointe-Noire, the second largest city in the country, army units loyal to Lissube laid down their arms. Following this, Sassou Nguesso declared himself president and appointed a new government. After the war, the armed forces were reformed for the third time. The updated army included former rebels and combatants ^{[7] [8] [9]} .

Command

Ministers of the National Defense of the Republic of Congo

• 2002-2005 Pierre Oba
• 2005-2009 Jacques Yvonne Ndolou
• ☎ Charles Zachary Bowao
• 2012 — present Charles Richard Monjo

Chiefs of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo

• 1987-1993 Jean-Michel Mokoko
• 1999-2002 Jacques Yvonne Ndolou
• 2002-2012 Charles Richard Monjo
• 2012 — present Guy Blanchard Okoy ^[10]

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is the President of the Republic of the Congo, Denis Sassu-Nguesso . At present, the PIC and other state militarized structures are headed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Congo, who is appointed by the President of the Country. Since 2012, the post of Chief of the General Staff has been occupied by Major General Guy Blanchard Okoï. Also, since 2012, there has been no conscription for military service and the army has switched to a professional basis ^[11] . According to 2005 estimates, the country's mobilization capabilities were characterized by 406,016 men aged 18-49 who did not have restrictions on military service. According to 2010 estimates, 577,944 men and 566,587 women aged 18-49 who do not have restrictions on military service ^[11] . The military budget was estimated at 3.1% of the country's GDP and amounted to 110 million US dollars for 1993; 135.3 million US dollars for 2015 ^[12] . Since mid-2010, exercises have been held jointly with the military structures of the United States and China. According to the rating compiled by the Global Power Index among African military powers in 2017, the Republic of the Congo took 26th place and 118th in the world ^[13] .

Ground forces consist of an artillery battalion, three infantry, two armored and airborne battalions. The total number of about 8000 people. In service are the tanks T-55 , T-54 and Type 59 , amphibious tanks PT-76 and Type 63 . There are also a number of armored personnel carriers BTR-152 , BTR-60 , Mamba, Cobra, Marauder , ZFB-05 and WZ-551, FOX combat reconnaissance vehicles and up to 100 artillery pieces and mortars.

Basing

• Loubomo (military zone No. 2) ^[14]
• Brazzaville (Military Zone No. 9) ^[10]

Commanders

Commanders of the Ground Forces of the Republic of the Congo

• 1998-2003 Gilbert Mokoki

Equipment and weapons

Small Arms

• 12.7 mm heavy machine gun DShK
• 7.62 mm Degtyarev Infantry Machine Gun
• 7.62 mm Kalashnikov light machine gun
• 7.62 mm Degtyarev light machine gun
• 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle
• 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle upgraded
• 7.62 mm FN FAL automatic rifle
• 9-mm submachine gun MAT-49
• 9mm Walther PP Gun
• 7.62 mm TT pistol
• RPG-7 manual anti-tank grenade launcher

Uniforms

A uniform of the French standard was introduced in the army of the Republic of Congo, but instead of a uniform cap, caps for officers and berets for personnel are worn. Berets differ in color depending on the formation. For example, in the gendarmerie, the beret color is beige.

Since the early 1960s, the emblem of the Congolese army has been the image of a lion framed by a wreath. She was fixed on caps and berets. Since 1970, with the proclamation of the People's Republic of the Congo, army symbols have been changed - the new emblem depicted the head of a lion against a red star framed by a wreath of green. She was fixed on caps, berets, epaulets and buttonholes. In the late 1990s, the symbolism of the 1960s was returned, but with the change that in the ground forces the lion is depicted against the background of the sword, in the Navy against the background of the anchor, in the Air Force against the background of the wings. Gendarmerie officers wear emblems and insignia of the ground forces.

Incidents

On February 5, 2012, explosions occurred in one of the ammunition depots of an armored regiment located in the fifth district of Brazzaville, Quinzee. At least 206 people died in the barracks in the warehouse. After the incident, the government promised to transfer all five ammunition depots to the capital ^[19] .

In service with the Naval Forces of the Republic of the Congo are 3 Spanish patrol boats of the Pirana type and 4 small border boats. The number of 800 people. In October 2007, the US Navy conducted some training for the Congolese Navy in Pointe Noire, which is the country's main naval base ^[20] .

Command

• 2002—2017 Rear Admiral Andre Boagnabea Mundantsi
• 2017 — present Captain Rene Nganongo ^[21]

With the declaration of independence from France in 1960, the Congolese Air Force ( fr. Force Aerienne Congolaise) was created . The first aircraft were the Douglas C-47 , and Bell 47 G. In 1963, the country's first parachute In the 1970s, the air forces of the People's Republic of the Congo switched to Soviet-made equipment: MiG-15 , Il-14 , An-24 and An-26 . After the withdrawal of the Cuban military contingent in the 1980s, about 20 Cuban MiG-17s moved into the congolaises Force ^[22] . in 1986, 16 was acquired in the USSR MIG-21 MF-Mig Mig 21bis and 2-21UM for amplification and enes MiG-15 and MiG-17 ^{[23] [24]} . In 1990, the Air Force has been transformed into its current state, the government formed an incoming squadron in the Air Force structure. In mid-1997, weaponry received 6 Mi-8 / Mi- 17 from the Ukrainian Air Force. Most of the old fighters were disposed of in 2001. Since mid-2000, Congolese Air Force pilots have been trained in France and China.

Currently, the basis of the rapid response air force is 4 Dassault Mirage F1 fighters and 2 Mi-35 attack and transport helicopters. Military transport aviation is represented mainly by Soviet-made equipment: 1 IL-76 , 2 An-32 , 1 American Boeing 767 and 8 multi-purpose transport helicopters Mi-8 and Mi-17 , several French SA.365 ; There is 1 Italian-made reconnaissance helicopter A-109. The total number of staff is 1,200 people. Airbases are located in two cities. The main airbase is located in Brazzaville at the . In 2010, a new runway with a length of 3300 meters was opened at the airport, and the previous runway was reconstructed as a taxiway.

Basing

• Brazzaville (Maya Maya International Airport)
• Pointe Noire (Agostinho Neto Airport)
• Makua

Equipment and weapons

The Congolese Republican Guard (in some sources the National Gendarmerie of the Republic of the Congo) is a paramilitary force that is part of the Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo. It was created during the recognition of the country's independence on the model of the French National Gendarmerie and was first called the Congolese People’s Police. The AWG is called upon to monitor public safety. In 2007, it included about 2,000 employees, including officers and non-commissioned officers. In service are both wheeled armored personnel carriers and small arms.

Command

Ministers of the Interior

• 1997-2002 Pierre Oba
• 2007 — present Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou

Republican Guard Commanders

• 1979-198? Michel Ngakala
• 2003-2012 Gilbert Mokoki
• ? —January 20, 2018 Nyangu Ngate Mbualu
• 01/20/2018 — present Aquangu Gervais ^[27]

Equipment and weapons