Sahrawi People's Liberation Army

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Sahrawi People's Liberation Army
Spanish: Ejército de Liberación Popular Saharaui Arabic: جيش التحرير الشعبي الصحراوي
Flag of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Founded	10 May 1973 (1973-05-10) (51 years ago)
Headquarters	Tifariti
Leadership
Commander in chief	President Brahim Ghali
Chief of Staff	Mohamed Wali Akeik
Personnel
Military age	18
Conscription	No
Active personnel	20,000–30,000
Reserve personnel	50,000
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Algeria  Libya
Related articles
History	List of wars involving the SADR Western Sahara conflict
Ranks	Military ranks of SADR

The Sahrawi^[a] People's Liberation Army (SPLA; Arabic: جيش التحرير الشعبي الصحراوي, romanized: Jaysh al-Taḥrīr al-Shaʻbī al-Ṣaḥrāwī; Spanish: Ejército de Liberación Popular Saharaui, ELPS/ELP) is the army of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and previously served as the armed wing of the Polisario Front prior to the foundation of the Republic.^[1] Its commander-in-chief was the Secretary General of the Polisario, but the army is now also integrated into the SADR government through the SADR Minister of Defence. The SADR and the Polisario Front have no navy or air force. The SPLA's armed units are considered to have a manpower of possibly 20,000–30,000 active soldiers today, but during the war years its strength appears to have increased to 100,000 men.^{[citation needed]} It has a potential manpower of many times that number, since both male and female refugees in the Tindouf camps undergo military training at age 18.^{[citation needed]} Women formed auxiliary units protecting the camps during war years.

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