Ghana Armed Forces

1879

The Armed Forces are managed by the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff. ==History== In 1879 the Gold Coast Constabulary was established from personnel of the Hausa Constabulary of Southern Nigeria, to perform internal security and police duties in the British colony of the Gold Coast.

1901

In this guise, the regiment earned its first battle honour as part of the Ashanti campaign. The Gold Coast Constabulary was renamed in 1901 as the Gold Coast Regiment, following the foundation of the West African Frontier Force, under the direction of the Colonial Office of the British Government.

1957

Gold Coast soldiers returning from the Far East carried different perspectives from when they had departed. ===Internal operations=== The Ghana Armed Forces were formed in 1957.

Kwame Nkrumah had become Ghana's first Prime Minister when the country became independent in 1957.

1960

In the last years of the PNDC, Jerry Rawlings assumed civilian status; he was elected as a civilian President in 1993 and continued as President until 2001. ===External operations=== The Armed Forces' first external operation was the United Nations Operation in the Congo in the early 1960s, then the GAF training of Rhodesian guerrillas.

Operation UNTAC was the largest Ghanaian external operation since Ghana's first external military operation, ONUC in the Congo in the 1960s.

1961

Major General Stephen Otu was appointed Chief of Defence Staff in September 1961.

1966

From 1966, the Armed Forces were extensively involved in politics, mounting several coups.

As Nkrumah's rule wore on, he began to take actions which disquieted the leadership of the armed forces, including the creation and expansion of the President's Own Guard Regiment (POGR). As a result, on February 24, 1966, a small number of Army personnel and senior police officials, led by Colonel Emmanuel Kotoka, commander of the Second Brigade at Kumasi, Major Akwasi Afrifa, (staff officer in charge of army training and operations), Lieutenant General (retired) Joseph Ankrah, and J.W.K.

Harlley, (the police inspector general), successfully launched "Operation Cold Chop", the 1966 Ghanaian coup d'état, against the Nkrumah regime.

The group formed the National Liberation Council, which ruled Ghana from 1966 to 1969. The Armed Forces seized power again in January 1972, after the reinstated civilian government cut military privileges and started changing the leadership of the army's combat units.

1969

The group formed the National Liberation Council, which ruled Ghana from 1966 to 1969. The Armed Forces seized power again in January 1972, after the reinstated civilian government cut military privileges and started changing the leadership of the army's combat units.

1972

The group formed the National Liberation Council, which ruled Ghana from 1966 to 1969. The Armed Forces seized power again in January 1972, after the reinstated civilian government cut military privileges and started changing the leadership of the army's combat units.

Lieutenant Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (temporary commander of the First Brigade around Accra) led the bloodless 1972 Ghanaian coup d'état that ended the Second Republic.

Acheampong became head of state, and the NRC ruled from 1972 to 1975. On October 9, 1975, the NRC was replaced by the Supreme Military Council (SMC).

1975

Acheampong became head of state, and the NRC ruled from 1972 to 1975. On October 9, 1975, the NRC was replaced by the Supreme Military Council (SMC).

1978

Fred Akuffo, (the Chief of Defence Staff), and the army, navy, air force and Border Guard Unit commanders. In July 1978, in a sudden move, the other SMC officers forced Acheampong to resign, replacing him with Lt.

1979

Akuffo, the new SMC chairman, promised publicly to hand over political power to a new government to be elected by 1 July 1979. The decree lifting the ban on party politics went into effect on 1 January 1979, as planned.

However in June, just before the scheduled resumption of civilian rule, a group of young armed forces officers, led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, mounted the 1979 Ghanaian coup d'état.

They put in place the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, which governed until September 1979.

1981

However, in 1981, Rawlings deposed the new civilian government again, in the 1981 Ghanaian coup d'état.

1992

The UNTAC operation lasted two years, 1992−1993.

1993

The PNDC remained in government until January 7, 1993.

In the last years of the PNDC, Jerry Rawlings assumed civilian status; he was elected as a civilian President in 1993 and continued as President until 2001. ===External operations=== The Armed Forces' first external operation was the United Nations Operation in the Congo in the early 1960s, then the GAF training of Rhodesian guerrillas.

1994

In 1994 the Navy was re-organized into an Eastern command, with headquarters at Tema, and a Western command, with headquarters at Sekondi-Takoradi. ==GAF Business== ===GAF Military private bank=== The Ghana Armed Forces, in addition to owning its own arms industry weapons and military technology and equipment manufacturer (DIHOC − Defence Industries Holding Company), operates its own private bank.

2000

In March 2000 Northern and Southern Commands were formed after the two infantry brigades were upgraded in status.

2001

In the last years of the PNDC, Jerry Rawlings assumed civilian status; he was elected as a civilian President in 1993 and continued as President until 2001. ===External operations=== The Armed Forces' first external operation was the United Nations Operation in the Congo in the early 1960s, then the GAF training of Rhodesian guerrillas.

2010

The salary structure started in 2010 has increased the income of the military.

2012

Operation UNTAC and its contingent UNAMIC had a combined budget of more than $1.6 billion. In 2012, closer military cooperation was agreed with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

2013

In 2013, the Armed Forces agreed closer military cooperation with the China People's Liberation Army, and with the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ==Ghana Army== The Ghana Army is structured as follows: The Northern Command with headquarters in Tamale, Central Command with headquarters in Kumasi and the Southern Command with headquarters in Accra.

2016

By 2016 the Forces Pay Office had been upgraded to the Forces Pay Regiment. The Armed Forces uses imported weaponry and locally manufactured secondary equipment.

2018

Currently, Ghanaian armed forces are posted to United Nations peacekeeping missions in: MONUC (Democratic Republic of Congo) − 464 UNMIL (Liberia) − 852 (disestablished 2018) UNAMSIL (Sierra Leone) − 782 UNIFIL (Lebanon) − 651 Ghana armed forces provided the first Force Commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo.




All text is taken from Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License .

Page generated on 2021-08-05