Military of Zimbabwe
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| Zimbabwe Defence Forces |
|
|---|---|
 Flag of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces |
|
| Current form | 1980 |
| Service branches | Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police |
| Headquarters | Harare |
| Manpower | |
| Conscription | 18-24 years of age |
| Available for military service |
2,778,404 males, age 18-49 (2005 est.), 2,681,531 females, age 18-49 (2005 est.) |
| Fit for military service |
1,304,424 males, age 18-49 (2005 est.), 1,115,096 females, age 18-49 (2005 est.) |
| Active personnel | 29,000 military, 21,800 paramilitary (ranked 83rd) |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | US$60 million (2006) |
| Percent of GDP | 3.8% (2006) |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Zimbabwe |
The armed forces of Zimbabwe are composed of an army (ZNA) and an air force (AFZ). The most senior commander of Zimbabwe's army is currently General Constantine Chiwenga. As a landlocked country, Zimbabwe has no navy.
The ZNA currently has an active duty strength of 30,000. The air force has about 5,000 men assigned. In July 1994 the combined Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters was created. The branches are Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police).
The main service rifle is the AKM assault rifle.
It has been alleged by opposition leaders that the military has gained control of political life in Zimbabwe following the 2008 elections that saw the MDC become the majority party in the Parliament.
[edit] History
At the time of independence, the then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe declared that integrating Zimbabwe's three armed forces would be one of Zimbabwe's top priorities. The existing Rhodesian forces were combined with the two guerilla armies; the 20,000-strong ZANLA forces of ZANU-PF and the 15,000-strong ZIPRA forces of PF-ZAPU.
In 1999, the Government of Zimbabwe sent a sizeable military force into the Democratic Republic of Congo to support the government of President Laurent Kabila during the Second Congo War. Those forces were largely withdrawn in 2002.
[edit] References
- Central Intelligence Agency The World Factbook - Zimbabwe
- The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2007). The Military Balance 2007. Abingdon: Routledge Journals. ISBN 9781857434378. Page 299.
