Military Technology Special Issue WDA

direction, guidance and oversight on all matters of national defence, with a mission to reg- ulate, promote, organise and coordinate the effective performance of the Malawi National Defence in line with the country’s Defence Policy and provide strategic direction on capac- ity building, managing resources and promotion of civil-military relations.The Malawi Defence Force (MDF) is tasked to uphold and defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the Republic of Malawi against external and internal threats. The MDF, when called upon, will also assist the police in the restoration of law and order, with- in the confines of the Constitution. The MDF will further participate in regional and inter- national peace support operations under the auspices of SADC, OAU and UN, according to the co-operation agreements and treaties Malawi has entered into. Structure: Integrated structure. The Air Wing and the Naval Detachment (on Lake Malawi) are part of the Army. Total active manpower: 9,800 + 109 civilian employees (authorised total under the 2017/18 budget). Para-military forces: 1,000 Police Mobile Unit. Conscription: None, all-volunteer forces. Defence budget: K128,540,690 for the MoD plus K20,557,911,782 million for the Malawi Defence Force (some US$28 million in total)(draft 2018/19 budget). These figures are pro- jected to grow to K154,248,827 plus K24,669,494,139 in 2010/2020 and to K185,098,593 plus K29,603,392,967 in 2020/2021, respectively. Land Forces Personnel: Some 9,500. Structure: 5 infantry battalions 1 Parachute battalion 1 administrative unit. Naval Detachment: Personnel: 220 Fleet: 1 CHIKALA patrol boat, 1 SPEAR type patrol craft, 1 NAMACURRA type, 2 armed launches, 12 ZODIACs, 7 BR-850 RHIBs. Bases: Monkey Bay (Lake Malawi). Army Air Wing: Transports: 3 Do-228s, 1 Dornier Do-28D-2s, 2 Turbo 67s, 1 KING AIR C90. Helicopters: 2 SA.330F PUMAs, 1 AS.532 COUGAR, 3 AS.350L-1 ECUREUIL, 3 GAZELLEs (ex-UK). Police Air Wing: 3 BN-2 DEFENDERs (armed patrol), 1 SKYVAN, 4 Cessna 206s. Air base: Blantyre-Chileka. General Data Area: 1,240,000 sq.km (478,900 sq.miles); 2% arable, 35% meadows and pastures, 7% forest and woodland, 66% other. Coastline: None, landlocked. Population: 17,885,245 (July 2017 est.); annual growth rate 3.02% (2017 est.). The population is 50% Mande, 17% Peul, 12% Voltaic, 6% Songhai, 5% Tuareg and Moor and 10% other. Religions: 90% Muslim, 9% indigenous beliefs, 1% Christian. Languages: French (official); Bambara spoken by about 80% of population. Literacy rate: 33.1%. Government Long-form or legal name: Republic of Mali (République de Mali). Type of Government: Semi-presidential republic. Administrative divisions: 8 regions. Legal system: Based on French civil law system and customary law; judiciary headed by Supreme Court. Branches of government: President elected by popular vote; Prime Minister appointed by President; Council of Ministers appointed by Prime Minister; unicam- eral legislature (147-member National Assembly); judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court. Suffrage: Universal over age 21. Member of: UN, AU, IAEA, ICAO, AfDB, Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) and others. Economy GDP: US$38.25 billion (2016 est.)[official exchange rate US$14.04 billion], US$2,100 per capita; real growth rate 5.8% (2016 est.). Balance of trade: Imports, US$3.443 billion; exports, US$2.803 billion (2016 est.). Budget: Revenues, US$2.567 billion; expenditures, US$3.12 billion (2016 est.). Defence Structure: The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and responsible for national defence. The government, under the authority of the Prime Minister, is tasked with implementing and executing national security decisions. This involves two ministries: the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Security. The Ministry of Defence is also indifferently referred to as Ministry of Armed Forces, including in official documents. Forces are deployed in 8 Military Regions (Gao, Ségou, Kati, Kayed, Timbuktou. Sévaré, Kidal and Sikasso), but the exact sharing of responsibility and authority between the com- manders of these regions and the central structures is not completely clear at this stage. Personnel: Some 20,000 (target figure by 2020). An additional 3,000 personnel are to be recruited during 2019. General: The Mali Armed Forces (FAMa in the French acronym) are being rebuilt and reor- ganised with EU support (EUTM Mali mission). The nucleus of the new FAMa will be rep- resented by twelve inter-arms tactical groups (equivalent to reinforced infantry battalions with some 700-750 personnel), with a total strength of some 11,000 personnel. These are formed and equipped basically as light infantry units, but an armoured capability is being developed with ACMAT BASTION APCs and 24 STORM protected carriers (the latter donat- ed by Qatar in late 2018). An artillery capability has also been re-established (36th Artillery Regiment equipped with D-30 122mm howitzers), along with an Engineer Corps and a National Guard. The 33rd Parachute Commando Regiment has been reactivated. The National Gendarmerie includes a Rapid Intervention Force (FARGEND in the French acronym) and a Special Intervention Group (GSIGN), which act as SF/Counter-terrorism units both on their own and in support to the FAMa. The Air Force has been reorganised and re-equipped with a C-295W transport (a second similar aircraft is reported on order), 2 Y-12 light transports, 2 Super PUMA helicopters, 1 Cessna 208 equipped for ISR missions (donated by the EU in early 2019), 4 Mi-35 combat helicopters and 4 A-29 Super TUCANO light attack aircraft (delivered during 2018). Defence budget: FCAC 278,704 million (some US$ 485 million)(draft 2019 budget). Sahel Force (FC-G5S) Responding to a French initiative, the member countries of the G5 Sahel bloc (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) formally activated on 2 July 2017 a new 5,000-strong (target figure) multinational force, Sahel Force (FC-G5S) intended operate in coordination with both France’s Operation BARKHANE (see under Chad) and the UN MINUSMA mission (see below) to combat Islamic terrorism across the region. FC-G5S, with its HQs at Bamako (Mali), launched its first operations in early November 2017 in the border areas between Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, and is expected to progressively assume responsibility also for the border areas between Chad and Niger as well as between Mali and Mauritania. MINUSMA The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) remains deployed based on UN Security Council Resolution 2100 of 25 April 2013 and sub- sequent updates. The current mandate of MINUSMA includes: Sub-Saharan Africa - Malawi - Mali MT Special Issue 2019 - World Defence Almanac (WDA) - 233 Mali Head of State: President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita Prime Minister: Boubou Cisse Minister of Defence: Ibrahim Dahirou Dembélé Chief of General Staff: Gen. Abdoulaye Coulibaly Commander MINUSMA: Lt.Gen. Dennis Gyllensporre (Swedish Army) Commander Sahel Force: Gen. Oumarou Namata (Nigerian Army) Chief of Staff of the Land Forces: Brig.Gen. Keba Sangaré Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Col. Souleymane Bamba Chief of Staff of the National Guard: Brig.Gen. Ouahoun Koné Commander EUTM-Mali: Brig.Gen. Peter Mirow (German Army) Ministry of Defence P.O. Box 215 Bamako / Mali Tel.: +223-222617 Equipment: Armoured cars: 8 FERRETs, 12 FOXs, 12 ELANDs Artillery: 105mm pack Mortars: L-16 81mm RCL: M18 57mm ATGWs: MILAN SAM: BLOWPIPE AA: 46 ZPU-4 14.5mm. Armed Forces HQ P.O. Box 10 Bamako / Mali Tel.: +223-222658