Central African Armed Forces

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (April 2013)

Central African Armed Forces
Forces armées centrafricaines (FACA)
Founded	1960
Service branches	Central African Ground Forces Central African Air Force National Gendarmerie [fr] Republican Guard National Police
Headquarters	Camp Le Roux, Bangui
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Faustin-Archange Touadéra
Minister of Defense	Rameaux-Claude Bireau
Chief of the Defence Staff	Zéphirin Mamadou
Personnel
Conscription	Voluntary, after the age of 18 years
Available for military service	853,760, age 18–49 (2005 est.)
Fit for military service	416,091, age 18–49 (2005 est.)
Reaching military age annually	(2005 est.)
Active personnel	10,000 (2022)[1]
Expenditure
Budget	$25 million (2021)[1]
Percent of GDP	1.4% (2018)
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Brazil  China  India  Indonesia  Portugal[2]  Russia[3]  Singapore  South Africa  United States  Vietnam
Related articles
History	Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Central African Republic Bush War Central African Republic Civil War
Ranks	Military ranks of Central African Republic

The Central African Armed Forces (French: Forces armées centrafricaines; FACA) are the armed forces of the Central African Republic and have been barely functional since the outbreak of the civil war in 2012. Today they are among the world's weakest armed forces, dependent on international support to provide security in the country. In recent years the government has struggled to form a unified national army. It consists of the Ground Force (which includes the air service), the gendarmerie, and the National Police.^[4]

Its disloyalty to the president came to the fore during the mutinies in 1996–1997, and since then has faced internal problems. It has been strongly criticised by human rights organisations due to terrorism, including killings, torture and sexual violence. In 2013 when militants of the Séléka rebel coalition seized power and overthrew President Bozizé they executed many FACA troops.^[5]