Military of Ghana
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| Military of Ghana | |
|---|---|
| Military manpower | |
| Military age | 18 years of age(2002) |
| Availability | males age 15-49: 5,045,355 (2002 est.) |
| Fit for military service | males age 15-49: 5,045,355 (2002 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually | males: 213,237 (2002 est.) |
| Military expenditures | |
| Dollar figure | $90.5 million (FY01) |
| Percent of GDP | .001% (FY01) |
The Military of Ghana consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, Palace Guard, and Civil Defence, with the lowest Active Troops per thousand citizens in the world standing at 0.33. Ghana's modern military was formed after independence in 1957. The Ghanaian military is considered the most professional and advanced armed force in West Africa.[citation needed] It is frequently relied on to provide stability and the rule of law in an otherwise turbulent region.
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[edit] General
The Ghanaian military is primarily composed of the army, which forms the pre-eminent service, more important that the air force or navy. Ghana's nominal chief military commander is the President of The Republic, with various generals and other commanders leading troops in the field. Military units exist in the capital, Accra and in Ghana's border regions. The Ghanaian army, which has both a northern and a southern command, is organized into two brigades, with six infantry battalions; one reconnaissance regiment, two reconnaissance squadrons; one airborne force, one regiment of paratroopers; one artillery regiment; and one field engineer regiment.
The Ghanaian Army relies on a mix of modern military technology and older varieties. While modern M16s and equipment are standard issue, much of the secondary equipment used by the Ghanaian military is generally older than that used in Western military forces, and Ghanaian troops frequently rely on older British, Brazilian, Swiss, Swedish, Israeli, and Finnish weaponry. The Ghanaian military often has to make do with poorly-serviced weaponry and equipment due to difficult maintenance capabilities. As a result, maintenance tasks are often contracted to foreign military advisors and technicians.
[edit] Army
The Ministry of Defence and Central Defence Headquarters are both located in Accra. The Ghana army numbers some 5,000 personnel and is structured as follows:
- The Northern Command with headquarters in Kumasi and the Southern Command with headquarters in Accra. In March 2000 these two commands were formed after a military reorganisation.[1]
- 6 Infantry Battalions of the Ghana Regiment
- 2 Airborne companies attached to Northern Command
- 1 Battalion of the President's Own Guard Regiment
- 1 Training Battalion
- 1 Staff College
- 2 Armoured reconnaissance squadrons of the Reconnaissance Regiment
- 1 Signals Regiment
- 1 Engineer Regiment
- 1 Logistics Group.
[edit] Air Force
Consisting of roughly 1,000 trained personnel, the Ghana Air Force is headquartered in Burma camp Accra, and operates from bases in Accra (main transport base) Tamale (combat and training base), Takoradi (training base), and Kumasi (support base). The Air Force's stated mission is to perform counterinsurgency operations within Ghana and to provide logistical support to the army. Like the army, the air force suffers from frequent shortages of spare parts and poor maintenance of equipment.
[edit] Navy
Ghana Navy provides coastal defence, fishery protection, and internal security on Lake Volta. In 1994 the navy was re-organized into an Eastern command, with headquarters at Tema, and a Western command, with headquarters at Sekondi.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, due to financial constraints and a lack of serviceable equipment, the navy to shrank from about 1,200 personnel to around 850. The navy currently numbers about 1,000 personnel, as of 2003.
[edit] Other
Paramilitary forces deal with preventing and controlling civil disturbances and insurrection. A small elite Presidential guard provides security for the president.
[edit] Peacekeeping
The Ghanaian military is recognised as one of the most professional (ranked #1 by the United Nations in 2006) and up-to-date armed forces in West Africa, and as Ghana itself is a peaceful nation, enjoying stable relations with its neighbours in West Africa, Ghana is free to commit a large proportion of its armed forces to international peacekeeping operations. Such operations are mainly conducted in Africa, while large Ghanaian forces are frequently posted across the world as elements of United Nations peacekeeping forces. The United Nations has often relied on Ghanaian forces to conduct peacekeeping operations, in countries as diverse as Rwanda, Kosovo, and Lebanon. Currently, Ghanaian forces are posted to United Nations peacekeeping missions as follows:
- MONUC (Democratic Republic of Congo) - 464
- UNMIL (Liberia) - 852
- UNAMSIL (Sierra Leone) - 782
- UNIFIL (Lebanon) - 651
[edit] Miscellaneous
Ghanaian statutory law officially prohibits civilians and foreign nationals from wearing military apparel such as camouflage clothing, or clothing which resembles military dress. Officially, fines and/or short prison sentences can be passed against civilians seen in military dress in public. However, this regulation is not enforced, and Ghanaian civilians are able to wear military-style apparel (such as civilian clothes in a camouflage finish) without any difficulties from law enforcement. In addition, Ghanaian law prohibits the photographing of police or military personnel and vehicles, strategic sites such as Kotoka International Airport, and the seat of the Ghanaian government, Osu Castle.
[edit] External links
- ^ Africa South of the Sahara 2003, 32nd Edition
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