Côte d'Ivoire - Revision history

Admin1 at 23:44, 10 February 2026

2026-02-10T23:44:10Z

Admin1: /* Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Gendarmerie and Non-Military Agencies */

2026-01-12T02:01:50Z

Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Gendarmerie and Non-Military Agencies

Admin1 at 01:56, 12 January 2026

2026-01-12T01:56:53Z

Admin1: /* Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces */

2025-12-21T17:15:21Z

Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces

Admin1: /* Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces */

2025-12-21T17:13:13Z

Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces

Admin1: /* Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces */

2025-09-01T19:56:55Z

Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces

Admin1: /* Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces */

2025-09-01T19:49:12Z

Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces

Admin1 at 19:42, 1 September 2025

2025-09-01T19:42:42Z

Admin1: /* Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces */

2025-09-01T19:33:08Z

Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces

Admin1: /* Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) */

2025-09-01T19:00:57Z

Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:44, 10 February 2026
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	* Similar to France, there is a ''Police Municipale'' system which has localized agencies that work alongside the National Police but with a local, city-based focus. Special untis of the PM wear a [[lizard]] camouflage design with a striking similiarity to the one worn by its sister agency, the ''Gendarmerie Nationale.'' The present version has been in service since at least 2020, although it is altogether likely the pattern was introduced much earlier, possibly in a variation with a lighter colorway. The current version has the term ''Police Municipale'' embedded into the design itself, much like several other camouflage pattern in this nation.		* Similar to France, there is a ''Police Municipale'' system which has localized agencies that work alongside the National Police but with a local, city-based focus. Special untis of the PM wear a [[lizard]] camouflage design with a striking similiarity to the one worn by its sister agency, the ''Gendarmerie Nationale.'' The present version has been in service since at least 2020, although it is altogether likely the pattern was introduced much earlier, possibly in a variation with a lighter colorway. The current version has the term ''Police Municipale'' embedded into the design itself, much like several other camouflage pattern in this nation.

		+	[[File:ivorycoast26.png\|200px]]
	[[File:ivorycoast-pm.png\|200px]]		[[File:ivorycoast-pm.png\|200px]]

@@ Line 174: / Line 174: @@
 [[File:ivorycoast18.jpg|200px]]
+* Similar to France, there is a ''Police Municipale'' system which has localized agencies that work alongside the National Police but with a local, city-based focus. Special untis of the PM wear a [[lizard]] camouflage design with a striking similiarity to the one worn by its sister agency, the ''Gendarmerie Nationale.'' The present version has been in service since at least 2020, although it is altogether likely the pattern was introduced much earlier, possibly in a variation with a lighter colorway. The current version has the term ''Police Municipale'' embedded into the design itself, much like several other camouflage pattern in this nation.
 * Officially announced in January 2020, the Police Nationale adopted new camouflaged fatigues late in 2019. The pattern is a re-coloration of [[Multicam]] utilizing a blue dominant scheme. A variation having more black-grey tones has also been documented.

@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 [[File:ivorycoast-tropmc.jpg|200px]]
-== Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Gendarmerie and Other Agencies ==
+== Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Gendarmerie and Non-Military Agencies ==
 * The ''Brigade Anti-Emeute'' (Anti-riot Brigade) of the Gendarmerie Nationale has worn a "zebra stripe"-like design seen here consisting of midnight blue or black stripes on a white or pale grey background. A variation of the pattern with a pale blue background was still being worn in 2021. Evidence suggests the pattern is only worn for public appearances such as parades.
@@ Line 173: / Line 173: @@
 [[File:ivorycoast17.jpg|200px]]
 [[File:ivorycoast18.jpg|200px]]
 * Officially announced in January 2020, the Police Nationale adopted new camouflaged fatigues late in 2019. The pattern is a re-coloration of [[Multicam]] utilizing a blue dominant scheme. A variation having more black-grey tones has also been documented.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:15, 21 December 2025
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	[[File:ivorycoast1.jpg\|200px]]		[[File:ivorycoast1.jpg\|200px]]
		+	[[File:ivory-lizard1.png\|200px]]

	* A very unique camouflage design for this nation emerged in the 1980s, incorporating very thin black or dark green "veins" on an grey-green background.		* A very unique camouflage design for this nation emerged in the 1980s, incorporating very thin black or dark green "veins" on an grey-green background.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 == Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces ==
-* The oldest camouflage patterns in service with this nation are copies of the French ''tenue de leópard'' or [[lizard]] design. Several uniform types have been documented, although they began to fall out of service in the 1990s. However, a variation of the lizard pattern was reintroduced for general service in 2010-2011.
+* The oldest camouflage patterns in service with this nation are copies of the French ''tenue de leópard'' or [[lizard]] design, which were initially introduced for service with airborne personnel in the 1970s. Several uniform types have been documented, although they began to fall out of service in the 1990s. However, a variation of the lizard pattern was reintroduced for general service in 2010-2011.
 [[File:ivorycoast1.jpg|200px]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:56, 1 September 2025
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	[[File:ivorycoast13.jpg\|200px]]		[[File:ivorycoast13.jpg\|200px]]
−
−	* A variation of the French ''Europe Centre'' or CE woodland pattern also emerged during the Civil War period, modified by embedding the coat of arms of the FANCI in black ink within the khaki areas of the pattern. This design was no doubt also created to stand out against the use of older, standard CE pattern camouflage uniforms by insurgents, but production numbers must have been limited as it does not appear to have reached significant numbers of armed forces personnel, and may have been limited to use by high ranking officers only.
−
−	~~[[File:ivorycoast25.png\|200px]]~~

	* Circa 2010-11, members of the FRCI (particularly members of the Garde Republicaine) have adopted a copy of the Universal Camouflage Pattern or UCP designed in the [[USA]].		* Circa 2010-11, members of the FRCI (particularly members of the Garde Republicaine) have adopted a copy of the Universal Camouflage Pattern or UCP designed in the [[USA]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:49, 1 September 2025
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	[[File:ivorycoast13.jpg\|200px]]		[[File:ivorycoast13.jpg\|200px]]
		+
		+	* A variation of the French ''Europe Centre'' or CE woodland pattern also emerged during the Civil War period, modified by embedding the coat of arms of the FANCI in black ink within the khaki areas of the pattern. This design was no doubt also created to stand out against the use of older, standard CE pattern camouflage uniforms by insurgents, but production numbers must have been limited as it does not appear to have reached significant numbers of armed forces personnel, and may have been limited to use by high ranking officers only.
		+
		+	[[File:ivorycoast25.png\|200px]]

	* Circa 2010-11, members of the FRCI (particularly members of the Garde Republicaine) have adopted a copy of the Universal Camouflage Pattern or UCP designed in the [[USA]].		* Circa 2010-11, members of the FRCI (particularly members of the Garde Republicaine) have adopted a copy of the Universal Camouflage Pattern or UCP designed in the [[USA]].

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 On 19 September 2002, military personnel from the north, loyal to General Guéï, mutinied and launched attacks on several cities, including the capital Abidjan. Although government forces maintained control over the south and the capital, insurgents wrested control of most of the north and based themselves in the city of Bouake. France intervened, sending 2500 personnel to maintain a peace line and requested the assistance of the United Nations, but fighting raged until late in 2004. In addition to the National Army (FANCI), the government were supported by nationalist militias calling themselves ''Young Patriots,'' and mercenaries recruited from [[Liberia]] and Europe. The ''Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire'' (FNCI) or New Forces of the Ivory Coast, was the name taken by the insurgent northerners. Although a peace agreement was reached in 2004, it proved short-lived as the FNCI refused to disarm or give up control of the north. An ongoing peacekeeping mission to the nation, the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), has been in place since April 2004, although a new peace accord was signed in March 2007, with a transitional government including rebel leader Guillaume Soro as prime minister. Violence erupted again following the November 2010 elections, which were contested by supporters of Gbagbo.
-Up until April of 2011, the armed forces were called the ''Forces Armées Nationales de Côte d'Ivoire'' or FANCI. Under this umbrella are included the Army (broken into five military regions), National Navy (''Marine Nationale''), a brown-water Navy called the ''Police Maritime'' (essentially a Coast Guard), a small Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie. After FANCI were defeated by the FNCI during the Second Ivorian Civil War (November 2010 to April 2011) a new, coalition armed force was created by amalgamating elements of the FNCI and the former FANCI into the ''Force Republiques de Cote d'Ivoire'' (Republican Force of the Ivory Coast) or FRCI; nevertheless, the structure of the armed forces remains essentially the same as it did pre-2011.
+Up until April of 2011, the armed forces were called the ''Forces Armées Nationales de Côte d'Ivoire'' or FANCI. Under this umbrella are included the Army (broken into five military regions), National Navy (''Marine Nationale''), a brown-water Navy called the ''Police Maritime'' (essentially a Coast Guard), a small Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie. Additionally, the nation maintains a number of special operations units that fall under an independent command structure, and include the ''Group des Forces Speciales'' (Army), ''Fusiliers de Commandos de l'Air'' (Air Force), ''Fusiliers Marins Commandos'' (Navy), and the ''Détachement d' Intervention Rapide'' of the National Police. After FANCI were defeated by the FNCI during the Second Ivorian Civil War (November 2010 to April 2011) a new, coalition armed force was created by amalgamating elements of the FNCI and the former FANCI into the ''Force Republiques de Cote d'Ivoire'' (Republican Force of the Ivory Coast) or FRCI. The Republican Force was only a transitional organization, however. Within a couple of years the Armed Forces would adopt another name change, the ''Forces Armées de Cote d'Ivoire'' (FACI), which it has retained into the present era.
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@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 == Camouflage Patterns of the Côte d'Ivoire Armed Forces ==
-* The oldest camouflage patterns in service with this nation are copies of the French ''tenue de leópard'' or [[lizard]] design. Several uniform types have been documented, although they began to fall out of service in the 1990s. However, it appears a variation of the lizard pattern has been reintroduced for general service in 2010-2011.
+* The oldest camouflage patterns in service with this nation are copies of the French ''tenue de leópard'' or [[lizard]] design. Several uniform types have been documented, although they began to fall out of service in the 1990s. However, a variation of the lizard pattern was reintroduced for general service in 2010-2011.
 [[File:ivorycoast1.jpg|200px]]
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 [[File:ivorycoast3.jpg|200px]]
-* An Asian copy of the French ''Europe Centre'' (CE) woodland camouflage design has also been in service since the 1990s.
+* Asian copies of the French ''Europe Centre'' (CE) woodland camouflage design began to enter service with the FANCI in the late 1990s and continued to augment the supply system into the early 2000s. Sources for the textiles and uniforms varied from year to year, and so a variety of uniform designs and mild pattern variations can be observed among Ivorien forces over the years, often within the same unit.
 [[File:senegal2.jpg|200px]]
-* Likewise, copies of the US m81 [[woodland]] camouflage pattern, some with modified coloration, have been in service with the FANCI throughout the present period.
+* Copies of the US m81 [[woodland]] camouflage pattern, sourced in Asia (and some with modified coloration), also began to see service with the FANCI in the late 1990s or early 2000s. As with the copies of CE woodland, these designs would be procured from a number of factories, leading to a variety of uniform designs and pattern variants being interspersed throughout the armed forces over the course of its tenure.
 [[File:usa7.jpg|200px]]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 Félix Houphouët-Boigny, son of a chief, labor organizer, and the first African appointed to the position of minister in a European government, became the nation's first president. He retained this position until his death in 1993, by which time a multi-party democracy had replaced the original one-party system. His successor, Henri Konan Bédié, tightened his hold on political life, often through imprisonment or intimidation of political opponents. Bédié retained his position until a military coup d'etat in 1999 forced him into exile. Civil unrest and public demonstrations surrounded the 2000 presidential elections, in which Laurent Gbagbo won out over General Robert Guéï who had been one of the officers in the 1999 coup.
-On 19 September 2002, military personnel from the north, loyal to General Guéï, mutinied and launched attacks on several cities, including the capital Abidjan. Although government forces maintained control over the south and the capital, insurgents wrested control of most of the north and based themselves in the city of Bouake. France intervened, sending 2500 personnel to maintain a peace line and requested the assistance of the United Nations, but fighting raged until late in 2004. In addition to the National Army (FANCI), the government were supported by nationalist militias calling themselves ''Young Patriots,'' and mercenaries recruited from [[Liberia]] and Europe. The ''Forces Nouvelles'' (FN) or New Forces, was the name taken by the insurgent northerners. Although a peace agreement was reached in 2004, it proved short-lived as the FN refused to disarm or give up control of the north. An ongoing peacekeeping mission to the nation, the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), has been in place since April 2004, although a new peace accord was signed in March 2007, with a transitional government including rebel leader Guillaume Soro as prime minister. Violence erupted again following the November 2010 elections, which were contested by supporters of Gbagbo.
+On 19 September 2002, military personnel from the north, loyal to General Guéï, mutinied and launched attacks on several cities, including the capital Abidjan. Although government forces maintained control over the south and the capital, insurgents wrested control of most of the north and based themselves in the city of Bouake. France intervened, sending 2500 personnel to maintain a peace line and requested the assistance of the United Nations, but fighting raged until late in 2004. In addition to the National Army (FANCI), the government were supported by nationalist militias calling themselves ''Young Patriots,'' and mercenaries recruited from [[Liberia]] and Europe. The ''Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire'' (FNCI) or New Forces of the Ivory Coast, was the name taken by the insurgent northerners. Although a peace agreement was reached in 2004, it proved short-lived as the FNCI refused to disarm or give up control of the north. An ongoing peacekeeping mission to the nation, the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), has been in place since April 2004, although a new peace accord was signed in March 2007, with a transitional government including rebel leader Guillaume Soro as prime minister. Violence erupted again following the November 2010 elections, which were contested by supporters of Gbagbo.
-Up until April of 2011, the armed forces were called the ''Forces Armées Nationales de Côte d'Ivoire'' or FANCI. Under this umbrella are included the Army (broken into five military regions), National Navy (''Marine Nationale''), a brown-water Navy (essentially a Coast Guard) called the ''Police Maritime'', a small Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie. With approximately 14,000 active duty personnel, the FANCI were defeated during the Second Ivorian Civil War (November 2010 to April 2011) and have since been replaced by the ''Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire'' (New Forces), under which the armed forces themselves are now called ''Force Republiques de Cote d'Ivoire'' or FRCI, although the structure of the armed forces remains essentially the same as it did pre-2011.
+Up until April of 2011, the armed forces were called the ''Forces Armées Nationales de Côte d'Ivoire'' or FANCI. Under this umbrella are included the Army (broken into five military regions), National Navy (''Marine Nationale''), a brown-water Navy called the ''Police Maritime'' (essentially a Coast Guard), a small Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie. After FANCI were defeated by the FNCI during the Second Ivorian Civil War (November 2010 to April 2011) a new, coalition armed force was created by amalgamating elements of the FNCI and the former FANCI into the ''Force Republiques de Cote d'Ivoire'' (Republican Force of the Ivory Coast) or FRCI; nevertheless, the structure of the armed forces remains essentially the same as it did pre-2011.
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