250,000–300,000 (including conscripts and militia)[1]Military age: 18
Conscription
Both men and women 18 years of age are required to perform national service. Conscription was made open ended in 1998 with no set term and many served for more than a decade, but in 2014 the government set 18 months as the limit for national service.[1][2]
Budget: $290 million (2006)[3]
Percent of GDP: 6.3% (2006)[3]
Engagements
Eritrean War of Independence Hanish Islands conflict Second Sudanese Civil War First Congo War Eritrean–Ethiopian War Djiboutian–Eritrean border conflict Tigray War
Commanders
Minister of Defense
General Sebhat Ephrem
Army Chief of Staff
General Philipos Woldeyohannes[4][5][6]
Military unit
The Eritrean Army is the main branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces and is one of the largest armies in Africa.[7] The main role of the army in Eritrea is defense from external aggressors, border security, and developing national cohesion. Historically, the predecessor of the Eritrean Army, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), played a major role in establishing and defending the country's independence from Ethiopia in 1991 during the Eritrean War of Independence. Since then, the army has continued to be involved in low-level border conflicts with Ethiopia and several other neighbors, including Djibouti and Yemen, with the most notable one being the Ethiopian-Eritrean War from 1998 until 2000, which ended in a partial Ethiopian military victory and Eritrean boundary line victory. It is widely regarded as one of the largest and more capable armies in Africa, despite the country having a smaller population than most of its neighbors[8][9] with around 250,000 to 300,000 personnel due to mandatory national service. Conscription became open ended since the war with Ethiopia and no demobilization has taken place.[10][11]
^ abEritrean Army. Global Security. Accessed 26 February 2018.
^Cite error: The named reference adwar was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abEritrea. Defenceweb.com. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
^Cite error: The named reference awate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Eritrea Appoints New Chief of Staff and Minister. Madote.com. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
^Eritrea Appoints New Chief of Staff. TesfaNews. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
^"Africa: Largest armies 2023".
^"Africa: Largest armies 2023".
^"In Eritrea, youth say frustrated by long service". Reuters. 18 July 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
^"Open-ended Conscription in Eritrea's National Military Service: Here is How to Improve the Policy". Africa Portal. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
^"Issue 23: Open-Ended Conscription in Eritrea's National Military Service: Here is How to Improve the Policy". horninstitute.org. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
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