Military of Ivory Coast - Army

Army

The army had three infantry battalions and an engineer battalion in 1979, as well as a light tank squadron, a reconnaissance company, and an artillery battery. At that time the active army consisted of 4,450 men. The army at that time operated AMX-13 light tanks, AML H60 and H90 armored cars, French 105mm howitzers, and mortars of 81mm and 120mm caliber.

In 1987 Ivory Coast was divided into five military regions, each commanded by a colonel. The First Military Region controlled the concentration of forces in and around Abidjan, its principal units there being a rapid intervention battalion (airborne), an infantry battalion, an armored battalion, and an air defense artillery battalion. The Second Military Region was located in Daloa and comprised one infantry battalion. The Third Military Region was headquartered in Bouaké and was home to an artillery, an infantry, and an engineer battalion. The Fourth Military Region maintained only a Territorial Defense Company headquartered in Korhogo The Fifth Military Region was formerly known as the Western Operational Zone, a temporary command created to respond to the security threat caused by the First Liberian Civil War. There were a total of 14,920 active troops.

Long-time President Houphouët Boigny, in power since the 1960s, passed away in December 1993, unleashing a succession crisis which quickly involved the power institutions of the state. The army seized power on 24 December 1999. By a decree of 27 December 1999, the constitution was suspended and all the institutions of government were dissolved. A collective body, the National Council of Public Safety (CNSP), presided over by Brigadier General Robert Guéi, took control. Following a constitutional referendum of July 2000, the president of the CNSP decided to run for president, and indeed declared himself president after the elections of 22 October 2000. Finally, however, after popular unrest Laurent Gbagbo became president and was sworn in on 26 October 2000.

A succession of military coups followed, which gave rise to an rebellion which began on 19 September 2002. From 2002 until 2011 Ivory Coast was split by the rebellion between the existing government in the south and the Forces Nouvelles in the north. As of July 2011, General Soumaïla Bakayoko is the chief of staff of the army, and colonel-major Gervais Kouakou Kouassi is the Chief of the Gendarmerie.

As of October 2011, previously active units around Abidjan reportedly included the:

• 1st Infantry Battalion – (1er Bataillon d’infanterie des forces armées terrestres ivoiriennes), at Akouédo (new camp)
• Armoured Battalion – (Battaillon Blinde), at Akouédo (new camp). The new camp at Akouedo had reportedly been almost completely destroyed. fr:Akouedo appears to be at 5' 21 7 N, 3' 26 30 W.
• 1st Parachute Commando Battalion – 1er Bataillon des Commandos Parachutistes (1er BCP), old camp at Akouedo, on the route to the village Ébrié.

The 2nd Infantry Battalion appears to have been based at Daloa for some time. A 2003 change of command usshered in the 16th commander of the unit, and there are also reports from 2009 and 2011.

In 1987 the Library of Congress Country Study appeared to say that the Third Military Region and Third Battalion at Bouake were coterminous.

As of 2012, major equipment items reported by the IISS included ten T-55 tanks (marked as potentially unserviceable), 5 AMX-13 light tanks, 34 reconnaissance vehicles, 10 BMP-1/2 armoured infantry fighting vehicles, 41 wheeled APCs, and 36+ artillery pieces.