Military of Sudan
Encyclopedia
The Sudan
ese Armed Forces numbers, according to 2007 IISS estimates, 104,800 members supported by 17,500 paramilitary personnel.
It comprises Land Forces, a Navy, an Air Force, and the Popular Defence Force. It has also formed Joint Integrated Units with its rebel enemies the Sudan People's Liberation Army
. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) operate under the authority of the People's Armed Forces Act 1986. In 2004, the Federal Research Division
of the Library of Congress
estimated that the Popular Defence Force, the military wing of the National Islamic Front
, consists of 10,000 active members, with 85,000 reserves. It has been deployed alongside regular army units against various rebel groups.
Sudan now receives most of its military equipment from the People's Republic of China
and Russia
. Sudan has a weapons production company called the Military Industry Corporation, which can produce ammunition, machine guns, and mortars. Production of artillery, rockets, armoured vehicles, Unmanned aerial vehicle
s, tanks and even light planes is claimed.
in 1899. The highest-ranking British officer in Egypt, known as the Sirdar
, also served as Governor General of the Sudan. In 1922, after nationalist riots
stimulated by Egyptian leader Saad Zaghloul, Egypt was granted independence
by the United Kingdom. The Egyptians wanted more oversight in the Sudan and created specialized units of Sudanese auxiliaries within the Egyptian Army
called Al-Awtirah. This became the nucleus of the modern Sudanese Army.
The British Army
formed the Sudan Defence Force
(SDF) as local auxiliaries in 1925. The SDF consisted of a number of separate regiments. Most were made up of Muslim soldiers and stationed in the north, but the Equatoria
Corps in the south was composed of Christians. During World War II, the SDF augmented allied forces engaging Italians in Ethiopia. They also served during the Western Desert Campaign
, supporting Free French and Long Range Desert Group
operations at Kufra
and Jalo
oases in the Libyan Desert
. "In 1947, the Sudanese military schools were closed, and the number of Sudanese troops was reduced to 7,570. In 1948, the first Arab-Israeli War broke out. Sudanese Colonel Harold Saleh Al-Malik selected 250 combat-seasoned soldiers who had seen action in World War II. They arrived in Cairo to participate in a parade and were then dispatched to various units of the Egyptian army. This was a grave mistake, for the Sudanese had fought together in World War II and this broke unit cohesion. The decision was indicative of Egyptian military planners of the period. Forty-three Sudanese were killed in action in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1953, the British and the new Egyptian government reached an agreement that Sudan was to be put on the path of independence. General Ahmed Mohammed became Sudan's first army chief in August 1954. This is significant for the Sudanese, for it was the first time it had an independent army that was not governed by Britain or Egypt."
In March 1954 British Troops in the Sudan consisted of one battalion stationed in Khartoum, reporting ultimately to the Governor-General. The Governor-General's military commander was the Major-General Commanding British Troops in the Sudan, who was also Commandant of the Sudan Defence Force. In this post from 1950 onward was Major General Reginald 'Cully' Scoons. The last British troops, 1st Battalion Royal Leicestershire Regiment
, left the country on 16 August 1955. All of the British troops were gone by the end of August 1955.
The Equatoria
Corps mutinied at Torit
on 18 August 1955, just before independence, prompting the formation of the Anyanya
guerilla movement and the First Sudanese Civil War
. A company of the Equatoria Corps had been ordered to make ready to move to the north, but instead of obeying, the troops mutinied, along with other Southern soldiers across the South in Juba, Yei, Yombo, and Maridi
. "At independence in 1956, Sudan's 5,000-man army was regarded as a highly trained, competent, and apolitical force, but its character changed in succeeding years. To deal with the southern insurgency, the army expanded steadily to 12,000 personnel in 1959 and it leveled off at about 50,000 in 1972. After independence, the military -particularly the educated officer corps- lost much of its former apolitical attitude; soldiers associated themselves with parties and movements across the political spectrum." On November 17, 1958, the army's two senior generals, Major General Ibrahim Abboud
, the armed forces commander, and Ahmad Abd al Wahab, seized power in a military coup. Abboud was forced to step down in 1964.
During 1969 the Sudanese Army consisted of about 26,500 men, four infantry brigades of four battalions each, three independent infantry battalions, one armoured regiment, a parachute regiment, an armoured regiment and three artillery regiments. There were 50 Alvis Saladin
s, 60 Ferret armoured car
s, and 45 Commando armoured cars, about 50 25-pounders, 40 105-mm howitzers, 20 120-mm mortars, and 80 Bofors 40-mm guns.
On May 25, 1969, several young officers, led by Colonel Jaafar an Nimeiri, seized power, thus bringing the army into political control for the second time. From 1969 until 1971, a military government - the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), composed of nine young officers and one civilian - exercised authority over a largely civilian cabinet. The RCC represented only a faction within the military establishment. From 1971 Nimeiri led a more civilian-based government. The first civil war ended in a negotiated settlement in 1973. Sudan sent at least one infantry brigade to the Sinai peninsula as a reinforcement to the Egyptian forces during the 1973 Yom Kippur War
. It arrived too late, on October 28, 1973 and saw no fighting. The Second Sudanese Civil War
broke out again in 1982 and continued until 2005.
The Land Forces were "basically a light infantry force in 1991, supported by specialized elements. Operational control extended from the headquarters of the general staff in Khartoum to the six regional commands (central, eastern, western, northern, southern, and Khartoum). Each regional command was organized along divisional lines. Thus, the Fifth Division was at Al-Ubayyid
in Kurdufan
(Central Command), the Second Division was at Khashm El Girba (Eastern Command), the Sixth Division was assigned to Al-Fashir
in Darfur
(Western Command), the First Division was at Juba (Southern Command), and the Seventh [Armoured] Division was at As Shajarah just south of Khartoum
(Khartoum Command). The Airborne Division was based at Khartoum International Airport. The Third Division was located in the north, although no major troop units were assigned to it. Each division had a liaison officer attached to general headquarters in Khartoum to facilitate the division's communication with various command elements. This organisational structure did not provide an accurate picture of actual troop deployments. All of the divisions were understrength. The Sixth Division in Darfur was a reorganised brigade with only 2,500 personnel. Unit strengths varied widely. Most brigades were composed of 1,000 to 1,500 troops." Keegan, writing in 1983, indicated that the northern command was located at Shendi
.
To reduce the pressure on the regular armed forces, the Sudanese government made extensive use of militias, such as the South Sudan Defence Forces
. This largely symbolic coalition of seven groups was formed with the signing of the Khartoum Peace Agreement
with the NIF in 1997. The SSDF was led by former Garang lieutenant Riek Machar
.
Jane's Information Group
said in May 2009 that 'There are a number of infantry divisions, divided among [the six] regional commands. The commander of each military region traditionally commanded the divisional and brigade commanders within his territory. It is understood that there are six infantry divisions and seven independent infantry brigades; a mechanised division and an independent mechanised infantry brigade; and an armoured division. Other elements are understood to include a Special Forces battalion with five companies; an airborne division and a border guard brigade. Support elements include an engineer division.' Jane's reported the army's strength as 100,000 plus militias.
Afdevinfo has reported that the 1st Division at Juba has been disbanded.
Jane's Sentinel reports that there are two engineer brigades supporting the 9th Airborne Division. Jane's Amphibious and Special Forces, 2010, lists the 9th Airborne Division headquartered in Khartoum which includes two airborne brigades and the 144th Special Forces Battalion, an anti-terrorist unit. It also mentions the two engineer brigades for special forces support.
Following the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement which ended the second civil war, the Sudanese Armed Forces formed joint military units with the Sudanese People's Liberation Army. These units, the Joint Integrated Units, were commanded by Major General Thomas Cirillo Swaka. With the probable dissolution of the JIUs following the Southern Sudanese independence referendum, 2011
, the SPLA components are expected to be either integrated back into the SPLA or be demobilised. The SPLA components however are a lesser concern than the SAF components. Many of the SAF JIU personnel are former militia ('Other Armed Groups' or OAGs) who were 'aligned' rather than being formally 'incorporated' within the northern army. 'Aside from regular SAF units in locations such as Malakal
and Bor
, many of the SAF elements of the JIUs hail from the areas where they are serving and have strong family ties in these locations. As with the SPLA components, integration into the SPLA or increased incentives to demobilize are the only options the SAF components are likely to consider—movement north being out of the question.'
The military and allied militias have fought in the Sudanese Civil War
, the Darfur Conflict
and the Sudan–SPLM-N conflict.
The standard issue assault rifle is now an H&K G3 variant that is domestically manufactured.
The IISS reported in 2007 that the SAF had 200 T-54/55 main battle tank
s and 70 Type 62
light tanks.(IISS 2007 p.293) In addition, a wide variety of other Chinese main battle tanks and a number of Sudanese tank variants (including the 'Digna'a Modernization programme for the T-55, the 'Al Bashier,' a
licensed version of the Type 85M-II
tank, and variants of the T-72Z and Type 59
have been reported.
The IISS reported 218 armoured cars (6 AML-90, 60 BRDM-1/2, 80 Ferret, 42 M-1114 HUMMWV, and 30 Alvis Saladin
) in 2007, alnogside 75 BMP-1/2. Also reported were 42 M-113, 19 LAV-150/V-100 Commando, BTR-152/BTR-50, 20 OT-62/OT-64, and 120 Egyptian Walid
.
Reported artillery totalled 1,105+. 450 towed reported included M-101, D-30, D-74, M-30, and 130mm M-46/Type-59-I. Self-propelled artillery reported included 2S1 Gvozdika , 20 M-114A1, Mk F3. 635 Multiple rocket launcher
s were reported; 107mm Type 63 multiple rocket launcher
s, and 122mm BM-21 Grad and Type-81. Also reported were 81mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortars. Anti-tank weapons reported included 4 Swingfire, 40 M-40A1 RCL, RPG-7 Knout, and 40+ anti-tank guns. 54 9K32 Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail) were reported, and 1,000+ anti-aircraft guns, including ZPU-2, ZPU-4, ZU-23-2, M-1939, Type-63, S-60, and M-1944 weapons.
In addition, other small arms are reported in service:
Assault Rifles Type 81 assault rifle
Type 56 Maz (licensed version of Type 56) Dinar
(licensed version of G3A4) Terab
(licensed version of Norinco CQ) Khateer
Tein
Submachine Guns Tihraga (licensed version of MP5) Spectre M4
Sniper Rifles Dragunov SVD PTRS-41
Machine Guns Karar
(licensed version of MG3) Khawad (licensed version of Type 85 HMG) Mokhtar
(licensed version of Type 80 HMG) RPK
runs a mixture of planes, including Mil Mi-24
attack helicopters, Chengdu J-7
fighters, MiG-29 fighters, Su-25 close air support aircraft, and Q-5 'Fantan' ground attack aircraft, and Antonov
medium and long transport aircraft.
There are reports of Iranian support to the Air Force and the rest of the armed forces.
A long-established training centre and airbase is at Wadi Sayyidna, where No. 2 Fighter-Attack Squadron SuAF operated J-7s for a period.
1999-2000 said the Navy was established in 1962 to operate on the Red Sea
coast and the River Nile. In 1999 estimated strength was 1,300 officers and men. Reported bases were Port Sudan and Flamingo Bay on the Red Sea and Khartoum. There were two 70-ton, 75-foot, coastal patrol craft, Kadir (129), and Karari (130), both transferred from the Iranian Coast Guard to Sudan in 1975, along with 16 inshore patrol craft and two supply ships.
The navy, according to 2004 estimates from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, now has 1,800 personnel, and a base at Marsa Gwayawi on the Red Sea.
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese Armed Forces numbers, according to 2007 IISS estimates, 104,800 members supported by 17,500 paramilitary personnel.
It comprises Land Forces, a Navy, an Air Force, and the Popular Defence Force. It has also formed Joint Integrated Units with its rebel enemies the Sudan People's Liberation Army
Sudan People's Liberation Army
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as a rebel political movement with a military wing known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army estimated at 180,000 soldiers. The SPLM fought in the Second Sudanese Civil War against the Sudanese...
. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) operate under the authority of the People's Armed Forces Act 1986. In 2004, the Federal Research Division
Federal Research Division
The Federal Research Division is the research and analysis unit of the United States Library of Congress.The Federal Research Division provides directed research and analysis on domestic and international subjects to agencies of the United States government, the District of Columbia, and...
of the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
estimated that the Popular Defence Force, the military wing of the National Islamic Front
National Islamic Front
The National Islamic Front is the Islamist political organization founded and led by Dr. Hassan al-Turabi that has influenced the Sudanese government since 1979, and dominated it since 1989...
, consists of 10,000 active members, with 85,000 reserves. It has been deployed alongside regular army units against various rebel groups.
Sudan now receives most of its military equipment from the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Sudan has a weapons production company called the Military Industry Corporation, which can produce ammunition, machine guns, and mortars. Production of artillery, rockets, armoured vehicles, Unmanned aerial vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s, tanks and even light planes is claimed.
Sudanese Army
The origins of the Sudanese Army date to Sudanese soldiers recruited by the British during the reconquest of Sudan in 1898. Sudan officially became the Anglo-Egyptian SudanAnglo-Egyptian Sudan
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan referred to the manner by which Sudan was administered between 1899 and 1956, when it was a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom.-Union with Egypt:...
in 1899. The highest-ranking British officer in Egypt, known as the Sirdar
Sirdar (Egypt)
Sirdar - a variant of Sardar, a long-standing of Indo-Aryan rank - was assigned to the British Commander-in-Chief of the nineteenth century Egyptian Army...
, also served as Governor General of the Sudan. In 1922, after nationalist riots
Egyptian Revolution of 1919
The Egyptian Revolution of 1919 was a countrywide revolution against the British occupation of Egypt and Sudan. It was carried out by Egyptians and Sudanese from different walks of life in the wake of the British-ordered exile of revolutionary leader Saad Zaghlul, and other members of the Wafd...
stimulated by Egyptian leader Saad Zaghloul, Egypt was granted independence
Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence
The Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence was issued by the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 28 February 1922...
by the United Kingdom. The Egyptians wanted more oversight in the Sudan and created specialized units of Sudanese auxiliaries within the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
called Al-Awtirah. This became the nucleus of the modern Sudanese Army.
The British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
formed the Sudan Defence Force
Sudan Defence Force
The Sudan Defence Force was a Sudanese military unit formed in 1925, as its name indicates, to maintain the borders of the Sudan under the British administration...
(SDF) as local auxiliaries in 1925. The SDF consisted of a number of separate regiments. Most were made up of Muslim soldiers and stationed in the north, but the Equatoria
Equatoria
Equatoria is a region in the south of present-day South Sudan along the upper reaches of the White Nile. Originally a province of Egypt, it also contained most of Northern part of present day Uganda including Albert Lake...
Corps in the south was composed of Christians. During World War II, the SDF augmented allied forces engaging Italians in Ethiopia. They also served during the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
, supporting Free French and Long Range Desert Group
Long Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
operations at Kufra
Kufra
Kufra is a basin and oasis group in Al Kufrah District, southeastern Cyrenaica in Libya. Kufra is historically important above all because at the end of nineteenth century it became the center and holy place of the Senussi order...
and Jalo
Jalo oasis
Jalo Oasis is an oasis in Cyrenaica, Libya, located west of the Great Sand Sea and about 250 km south-east of the Gulf of Sirte. Quite large, long and up to wide, it supports a number of settlements, the largest of which is the town of Jalu...
oases in the Libyan Desert
Libyan Desert
The Libyan Desert covers an area of approximately 1,100,000 km2, it extends approximately 1100 km from east to west, and 1,000 km from north to south, in about the shape of a rectangle...
. "In 1947, the Sudanese military schools were closed, and the number of Sudanese troops was reduced to 7,570. In 1948, the first Arab-Israeli War broke out. Sudanese Colonel Harold Saleh Al-Malik selected 250 combat-seasoned soldiers who had seen action in World War II. They arrived in Cairo to participate in a parade and were then dispatched to various units of the Egyptian army. This was a grave mistake, for the Sudanese had fought together in World War II and this broke unit cohesion. The decision was indicative of Egyptian military planners of the period. Forty-three Sudanese were killed in action in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1953, the British and the new Egyptian government reached an agreement that Sudan was to be put on the path of independence. General Ahmed Mohammed became Sudan's first army chief in August 1954. This is significant for the Sudanese, for it was the first time it had an independent army that was not governed by Britain or Egypt."
In March 1954 British Troops in the Sudan consisted of one battalion stationed in Khartoum, reporting ultimately to the Governor-General. The Governor-General's military commander was the Major-General Commanding British Troops in the Sudan, who was also Commandant of the Sudan Defence Force. In this post from 1950 onward was Major General Reginald 'Cully' Scoons. The last British troops, 1st Battalion Royal Leicestershire Regiment
Royal Leicestershire Regiment
The Royal Leicestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Royal Anglian Regiment in 1964.-1688 - 1881:...
, left the country on 16 August 1955. All of the British troops were gone by the end of August 1955.
The Equatoria
Equatoria
Equatoria is a region in the south of present-day South Sudan along the upper reaches of the White Nile. Originally a province of Egypt, it also contained most of Northern part of present day Uganda including Albert Lake...
Corps mutinied at Torit
Torit
-Location:The town is located in Torit County, Eastern Equatoria State, in the southeastern part of South Sudan, close to the International border with the Republic of Uganda. Its location lies approximately , by road, east of Juba, the capital and largest city in that country...
on 18 August 1955, just before independence, prompting the formation of the Anyanya
Anyanya
The Anyanya were a southern Sudanese separatist rebel army formed during the First Sudanese Civil War . A separate movement that rose during the Second Sudanese Civil War were, in turn, called Anyanya II...
guerilla movement and the First Sudanese Civil War
First Sudanese Civil War
The First Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1955 to 1972 between the northern part of Sudan and the southern Sudan region that demanded representation and more regional autonomy...
. A company of the Equatoria Corps had been ordered to make ready to move to the north, but instead of obeying, the troops mutinied, along with other Southern soldiers across the South in Juba, Yei, Yombo, and Maridi
Maridi
-Location:Maridi is located in Maridi East County, Western Equatoria State, near the international border between South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This location lies approximately , by road, west of Juba, the capital of South Sudan and the largest city in that country...
. "At independence in 1956, Sudan's 5,000-man army was regarded as a highly trained, competent, and apolitical force, but its character changed in succeeding years. To deal with the southern insurgency, the army expanded steadily to 12,000 personnel in 1959 and it leveled off at about 50,000 in 1972. After independence, the military -particularly the educated officer corps- lost much of its former apolitical attitude; soldiers associated themselves with parties and movements across the political spectrum." On November 17, 1958, the army's two senior generals, Major General Ibrahim Abboud
Ibrahim Abboud
El Ferik Ibrahim Abboud was a Sudanese president, general, and political figure. A career soldier, Abboud served in World War II in Eritrea and Ethiopia. In 1949, Abboud became the deputy Commander in Chief of the Sudanese military. Upon independence, Abboud became the Commander in Chief of the...
, the armed forces commander, and Ahmad Abd al Wahab, seized power in a military coup. Abboud was forced to step down in 1964.
During 1969 the Sudanese Army consisted of about 26,500 men, four infantry brigades of four battalions each, three independent infantry battalions, one armoured regiment, a parachute regiment, an armoured regiment and three artillery regiments. There were 50 Alvis Saladin
Alvis Saladin
The Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis, and fitted with a 76mm gun.Used extensively by the British Army, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in service since World War II.-History:...
s, 60 Ferret armoured car
Ferret armoured car
The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...
s, and 45 Commando armoured cars, about 50 25-pounders, 40 105-mm howitzers, 20 120-mm mortars, and 80 Bofors 40-mm guns.
On May 25, 1969, several young officers, led by Colonel Jaafar an Nimeiri, seized power, thus bringing the army into political control for the second time. From 1969 until 1971, a military government - the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), composed of nine young officers and one civilian - exercised authority over a largely civilian cabinet. The RCC represented only a faction within the military establishment. From 1971 Nimeiri led a more civilian-based government. The first civil war ended in a negotiated settlement in 1973. Sudan sent at least one infantry brigade to the Sinai peninsula as a reinforcement to the Egyptian forces during the 1973 Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. It arrived too late, on October 28, 1973 and saw no fighting. The Second Sudanese Civil War
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
broke out again in 1982 and continued until 2005.
The Land Forces were "basically a light infantry force in 1991, supported by specialized elements. Operational control extended from the headquarters of the general staff in Khartoum to the six regional commands (central, eastern, western, northern, southern, and Khartoum). Each regional command was organized along divisional lines. Thus, the Fifth Division was at Al-Ubayyid
Al-Ubayyid
Al-Ubayyid , also spelled El Obeid, is the capital of the state of North Kurdufan in central Sudan. In 2008, its population was 340,940. It is an important transportation hub: the terminus of a rail line, the junction of various roads and camel caravan routes, and the end of a pilgrim route from...
in Kurdufan
Kurdufan
Kurdufan , also spelled Kordofan, is a former province of central Sudan. In 1994 it was divided into three new federal states: North Kurdufan, South Kurdufan, and West Kurdufan...
(Central Command), the Second Division was at Khashm El Girba (Eastern Command), the Sixth Division was assigned to Al-Fashir
Al-Fashir
Al Fashir or Al-Fashir is the capital city of North Darfur, Sudan. It is a large town in the Darfur region of northwestern Sudan, 120 miles northeast of Nyala, Sudan....
in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
(Western Command), the First Division was at Juba (Southern Command), and the Seventh [Armoured] Division was at As Shajarah just south of Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
(Khartoum Command). The Airborne Division was based at Khartoum International Airport. The Third Division was located in the north, although no major troop units were assigned to it. Each division had a liaison officer attached to general headquarters in Khartoum to facilitate the division's communication with various command elements. This organisational structure did not provide an accurate picture of actual troop deployments. All of the divisions were understrength. The Sixth Division in Darfur was a reorganised brigade with only 2,500 personnel. Unit strengths varied widely. Most brigades were composed of 1,000 to 1,500 troops." Keegan, writing in 1983, indicated that the northern command was located at Shendi
Shendi
Shendi or Shandi is a town in northern Sudan, situated on the east bank of the Nile 150 km northeast of Khartoum. Shandi is also about 45 km southwest of the ancient city of Meroe. Located in the River Nile wilayah, Shandi is the center of the Ja'aliin tribe and an important historic...
.
To reduce the pressure on the regular armed forces, the Sudanese government made extensive use of militias, such as the South Sudan Defence Forces
South Sudan Defence Forces
The South Sudan Defence Forces was a militia in South Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War in uneasy alliance with the Government of Sudan....
. This largely symbolic coalition of seven groups was formed with the signing of the Khartoum Peace Agreement
Khartoum Peace Agreement of 1997
The Khartoum Peace Agreement of 1997 was an agreement made on 21 April 1997 between the Khartoum-based government of Sudan and various militia leaders from South Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War ....
with the NIF in 1997. The SSDF was led by former Garang lieutenant Riek Machar
Riek Machar
Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon , is the first vice-president of the independent Republic of South Sudan.Riek Machar obtained a PhD in mechanical engineering in 1984 and then joined the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army during the Second Sudanese Civil War...
.
Jane's Information Group
Jane's Information Group
Jane's Information Group is a publishing company specializing in transportation and military topics.-History:It was founded by Fred T...
said in May 2009 that 'There are a number of infantry divisions, divided among [the six] regional commands. The commander of each military region traditionally commanded the divisional and brigade commanders within his territory. It is understood that there are six infantry divisions and seven independent infantry brigades; a mechanised division and an independent mechanised infantry brigade; and an armoured division. Other elements are understood to include a Special Forces battalion with five companies; an airborne division and a border guard brigade. Support elements include an engineer division.' Jane's reported the army's strength as 100,000 plus militias.
Afdevinfo has reported that the 1st Division at Juba has been disbanded.
Jane's Sentinel reports that there are two engineer brigades supporting the 9th Airborne Division. Jane's Amphibious and Special Forces, 2010, lists the 9th Airborne Division headquartered in Khartoum which includes two airborne brigades and the 144th Special Forces Battalion, an anti-terrorist unit. It also mentions the two engineer brigades for special forces support.
Following the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement which ended the second civil war, the Sudanese Armed Forces formed joint military units with the Sudanese People's Liberation Army. These units, the Joint Integrated Units, were commanded by Major General Thomas Cirillo Swaka. With the probable dissolution of the JIUs following the Southern Sudanese independence referendum, 2011
Southern Sudanese independence referendum, 2011
A referendum took place in Southern Sudan from 9 to 15 January 2011, on whether the region should remain a part of Sudan or become independent. The referendum was one of the consequences of the 2005 Naivasha Agreement between the Khartoum central government and the Sudan People's Liberation...
, the SPLA components are expected to be either integrated back into the SPLA or be demobilised. The SPLA components however are a lesser concern than the SAF components. Many of the SAF JIU personnel are former militia ('Other Armed Groups' or OAGs) who were 'aligned' rather than being formally 'incorporated' within the northern army. 'Aside from regular SAF units in locations such as Malakal
Malakal
-Location:The city of Malakal is located in Malakal County, Upper Nile State, in the northeast of South Sudan, close to the International borders with the Republic of Sudan and with Ethiopia...
and Bor
Bor
Bor may refer to:* Matej Bor, the pen name of the Slovene poet Vladimir Pavšič *Bor , a location in Afghanistan*Bor , a town in Plzeň Region , Czech Republic...
, many of the SAF elements of the JIUs hail from the areas where they are serving and have strong family ties in these locations. As with the SPLA components, integration into the SPLA or increased incentives to demobilize are the only options the SAF components are likely to consider—movement north being out of the question.'
The military and allied militias have fought in the Sudanese Civil War
Sudanese Civil War
The term Sudanese Civil War refers to at least two separate conflicts:*First Sudanese Civil War - 1955–1972*Second Sudanese Civil War - 1983–2005...
, the Darfur Conflict
Darfur conflict
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
and the Sudan–SPLM-N conflict.
Education and Training
The Military College at Wadi Sayyidna, near Omdurman, had been Sudan's primary source of officer training since it opened in 1948. A two-year program, emphasizing study in political and military science and physical training, led to a commission as a second lieutenant in the SPAF. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, an average of 120 to 150 officers were graduated from the academy each year. In the late 1950s, roughly 60 graduated each year, peaking to more than 500 in early 1972 as a result of mobilisation brought on by the first southern rebellion. Students from other Arab and African countries were also trained at the Military College, and in 1982 sixty Ugandans were graduated as part of a Sudanese contribution to rebuilding the Ugandan army after Amin's removal from power.Equipment
The modern Sudanese Armed Forces is equipped mainly with Soviet,Russian, Chinese, Ukrainian, Iranian, and Sudanese manufactured weaponry.The standard issue assault rifle is now an H&K G3 variant that is domestically manufactured.
The IISS reported in 2007 that the SAF had 200 T-54/55 main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s and 70 Type 62
Type 62
The Norinco Type 62 is a Chinese light tank developed in the early 1960s and is based on the Chinese Type 59 with a reduced main gun caliber, lighter armour and a smaller suite of electronics and other equipment to help reduce weight. The Type 62 is still used by the Chinese People's Liberation...
light tanks.(IISS 2007 p.293) In addition, a wide variety of other Chinese main battle tanks and a number of Sudanese tank variants (including the 'Digna'a Modernization programme for the T-55, the 'Al Bashier,' a
licensed version of the Type 85M-II
Type 88 (tank)
The Type 88 is a series of second-generation main battle tanks from China. Based on the Type 79 design, the Type 88 entered service with the People's Liberation Army in the 1980s. As of 2003, an estimated 500 Type 88 MBTs are currently in service with the PLA...
tank, and variants of the T-72Z and Type 59
Type 59
The Type 59 main battle tank is a Chinese produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an improvement over the ubiquitous T-54/55. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963...
have been reported.
The IISS reported 218 armoured cars (6 AML-90, 60 BRDM-1/2, 80 Ferret, 42 M-1114 HUMMWV, and 30 Alvis Saladin
Alvis Saladin
The Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis, and fitted with a 76mm gun.Used extensively by the British Army, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in service since World War II.-History:...
) in 2007, alnogside 75 BMP-1/2. Also reported were 42 M-113, 19 LAV-150/V-100 Commando, BTR-152/BTR-50, 20 OT-62/OT-64, and 120 Egyptian Walid
Walid (armored personnel carrier)
The Walid is a wheeled armored personnel carrier based on the BTR-152 and the BTR-40, built by the Arab Organization for Industrialization . It was used by Egypt during the 1967 war with Israel.-Description:...
.
Reported artillery totalled 1,105+. 450 towed reported included M-101, D-30, D-74, M-30, and 130mm M-46/Type-59-I. Self-propelled artillery reported included 2S1 Gvozdika , 20 M-114A1, Mk F3. 635 Multiple rocket launcher
Multiple rocket launcher
A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
s were reported; 107mm Type 63 multiple rocket launcher
Type 63 multiple rocket launcher
The Type 63 multiple rocket launcher is a towed, 12-tube, 107mm rocket launcher produced by the People's Republic of China in the early 1960s, based on the Soviet BM-12 MRS and using similar rockets...
s, and 122mm BM-21 Grad and Type-81. Also reported were 81mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortars. Anti-tank weapons reported included 4 Swingfire, 40 M-40A1 RCL, RPG-7 Knout, and 40+ anti-tank guns. 54 9K32 Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail) were reported, and 1,000+ anti-aircraft guns, including ZPU-2, ZPU-4, ZU-23-2, M-1939, Type-63, S-60, and M-1944 weapons.
In addition, other small arms are reported in service:
Assault Rifles Type 81 assault rifle
Type 81 Assault Rifle
The Type 81 assault rifle was the principal automatic rifle used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army from the mid-1980s until 1995. It incorporates elements of the Dragunov Sniper Rifle, SKS, and AK series rifles in general looks...
Type 56 Maz (licensed version of Type 56) Dinar
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
(licensed version of G3A4) Terab
Norinco CQ
The CQ is a copy of the Colt M16 rifle. It is currently being manufactured by Norinco. According to the Norinco website, the rifle is officially known as CQ 5.56.-History:...
(licensed version of Norinco CQ) Khateer
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
Tein
Submachine Guns Tihraga (licensed version of MP5) Spectre M4
Spectre M4
The Spectre is an Italian submachine gun that was produced by the SITES factory in Turin. It was designed by Roberto Teppa and Claudio Gritti in the mid-1980s. Production in Italy ceased in the year 1997, with the closure of SITES, but proceeded in very small numbers in Switzerland through Greco...
Sniper Rifles Dragunov SVD PTRS-41
PTRS-41
The PTRS-41 is the semi-automatic cousin of the PTRD anti-tank rifle.-Design:The PTRS-41 was produced and used by the Soviet Union during World War II. In the years between the World Wars, Soviet Union began experimenting with different types of armour-piercing anti-tank cartridges...
Machine Guns Karar
Rheinmetall MG3
The MG3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. The weapon's design is derived from the World War II era MG 42 universal machine gun that fired the 7.92x57mm Mauser round....
(licensed version of MG3) Khawad (licensed version of Type 85 HMG) Mokhtar
Type 67 machine gun
The Type 67 is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It shares some design features with the Soviet-built PK machine gun, but is a true hybrid of a number of different machine gun models, including both Soviet and Western designs that had been in...
(licensed version of Type 80 HMG) RPK
RPK
The RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle...
Air Force
The Sudanese Air ForceSudanese Air Force
The Sudanese Air Force is the air force operated by the Republic of the Sudan. As such it is part of the Sudanese Armed Forces.-History:The Sudanese Air Force was founded immediately after Sudan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1956. The British assisted in the Air Force's...
runs a mixture of planes, including Mil Mi-24
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
attack helicopters, Chengdu J-7
Chengdu J-7
The Chengdu Jian-7 is a People's Republic of China-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. Though production ceased in 2008 it continues to serve, mostly as an interceptor, in several air forces, including China's.-Design and development:...
fighters, MiG-29 fighters, Su-25 close air support aircraft, and Q-5 'Fantan' ground attack aircraft, and Antonov
Antonov
Antonov, or Antonov Aeronautical Scientist/Technical Complex , formerly the Antonov Design Bureau, is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company with particular expertise in the field of very large aircraft construction. Antonov ASTC is a state-owned commercial company...
medium and long transport aircraft.
There are reports of Iranian support to the Air Force and the rest of the armed forces.
A long-established training centre and airbase is at Wadi Sayyidna, where No. 2 Fighter-Attack Squadron SuAF operated J-7s for a period.
Navy
Jane's Fighting ShipsJane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships is an annual reference book of information on all the world's warships arranged by nation, including information on ship's names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc...
1999-2000 said the Navy was established in 1962 to operate on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
coast and the River Nile. In 1999 estimated strength was 1,300 officers and men. Reported bases were Port Sudan and Flamingo Bay on the Red Sea and Khartoum. There were two 70-ton, 75-foot, coastal patrol craft, Kadir (129), and Karari (130), both transferred from the Iranian Coast Guard to Sudan in 1975, along with 16 inshore patrol craft and two supply ships.
The navy, according to 2004 estimates from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, now has 1,800 personnel, and a base at Marsa Gwayawi on the Red Sea.
Further reading
- Bienen, H.S., and J. Moore, 'The Sudan Military Economic Corporations,' Armed Forces and Society Vol. 13, No. 4, 1987, pp. 489–516
- Mohamed Ahmed Karar's book ,Al-Jaysh Al-Sudani Wa Al-Inqaaz "The popular army and the NRC" translated as 'The Sudanese Army and National Salvation' (Khartoum, Sudan: Dar Al-Balad Publisher, 1990)
- Jago Salmon, A Paramilitary Revolution: The Popular Defence Forces, Small Arms Survey HSBA Working Paper No.10, December 2007
- Small Arms Survey, Joint Integrated Units
- US Army Area Handbook for the Republic of Sudan, Dept of the Army Pamphlet No 550-27, Second Edition, 1964