Guinea-Bissau

Republic of Guinea-Bissau

The Republic if Guinea-Bissau (República da Guiné-Bissau) is a small, West African nation that was previously a Portuguese colonial possession known as Portuguese Guinea. Part of the Mali Empire from the 13th to 16th centuries, the region later rose to prominence as part of the Kaabu (or Gabu) Empire. As early as 1446, Portuguese explorers and traders began landing on the coast seeking sources for gold and slaves. The first Portuguese forts were built in 1480 (followed by British, Dutch and Danish), and a profitable trade in black slaves established, for which the region later earned the nickname Slave Coast. European presence was largely limited to the coastal regions, and as slavery declined only the Portuguese remained in Guinea. By 1915, after three decades of military campaigning to suppress local African leaders, the boundaries of the present nation were established as Portuguese Guinea (Guiné Portuguesa).

Beginning in 1956, the Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde or PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) was established, and by 1961 was waging a guerilla war against the Portuguese. Supported by several Eastern European countries and operating out of safe areas in neighboring Senegal and Guinea, the PAIGC were nevertheless outnumbered by Portuguese troops, and managed by 1973 to secure control over only parts of the interior. Nevertheless, the guerillas officially declared the independence of Guinea-Bissau in September of that year, although in reality it was only after the military coup d'etat in Portugal in 1974 that genuine independence was granted.

The nation was controlled by a revolutionary council until 1984. The first multi-party elections were held in 1994, but an army uprising in 1998 led to the president's ousting and sparked the a civil war pitting government forces against guerilla elements from June 1998 to May 1999. Elections were held again in 2000 and Kumba Ialá was elected president; he was removed from office and arrested in 2003, leaving the country again in military hands until new elections were held in 2005. João Bernardo Vieira succeeded to office, under protest from his opponent who claimed election tampering had occurred. In 2009, Vieira was assassinated by members of the military, and his previous opponent Malam Bacai Sanhá won the new presidential election in June of that year. However, the nation was again faced with military unrest in April of 2010 when Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior was placed under house arrest and his PAIGC supporters protested in the capital. Later that year the European Union sent a mission to reform the armed forces, which ended in August.

The armed forces of this nation are officially known as Forças Armadas Revolucionárias do Povo (FARP), or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People. FARP consists of a standing Army, a very small Navy and a barely functioning Air Force whose inventory of functional aircraft may be reduced to zero in the present era. There are approximately 4,000 personnel in the FARP. Additionally, the country inherited the tradition of a National Guard (Guarda Nacional) from Portugal, and for many years this entity existed as a separate, paramilitary entity. However, after clashes with the Presidential Guard that resulted in several deaths, an order was issued in December 2023 to bring the National Guard under the full control of the FARP.

Camouflage Patterns of Guinea-Bissau

• Under Portuguese colonial administration, African troops wore the same camouflage uniforms as regular Portuguese military personnel. African Commando troops in Portuguese Guinea were some of the most effective jungle fighters in all of Portuguese Africa.

• During the war for independence, PAIGC insurgents were supplied with several types of camouflage by the Communist governments of Eastern Europe, including Czech mracky (clouds), DDR rain pattern, and even surplus French lizard camouflage.

• First observed around the year 2000, a faithful copy of British DPM camouflage was worn for a period of time by the FARP. Just a few yars later (circa 2004) a similar version of DPM, very close to that now worn by Portugal, was adopted.

• Some version of woodland camouflage has been in use by FARP since at least 2004, the earliest version having a slightly gray tone to it.

• The tradition of wearing Portuguese-style "vertical lizard" camouflage continued into the present era, with exact copies of the Brazilian Army lizard pattern first being observed with armed forces of Guinea-Bissau right around the 2008 period.

• Another commonly encountered pattern in recent years has been the Asian-produced copy of French lizard pattern seen throughout much of West Africa, which also appears to have been adopted circa 2008-2009.

• Another version of the American m81 woodland camouflage pattern was first observed in 2012 at a state funeral, although it may have been adopted earlier.

• A pixelated camouflage design based on the US Marine Corps MARPAT was adopted by the FARP circa 2017-2018, although it appears to be restricted to certain units. The color palette, although similar to the USMC version, has a slightly different tone to the green elements.

• A second pixelated camouflage pattern was adopted by this country during the same era and has a much greener tone overall, and appears to be much more universally adopted within the FARP.

• Some elements of the National Police wear blue-dominant camouflage uniforms, including both woodland and DPM variants. Photographs suggest both types are worn interchangeably.

• Beginning in the year 2000, the Guarda Nacional began issuing a brightly colored pixelated camouflage design having a light blue/blue colorway. This pattern is certainly worn by the Brigada de Intervenção e Reserva (BIR) but may also be issued to a number of units in the GN.

• Another camouflage pattern adopted by the Guarda Nacional is a tiger stripe design, in service since around 2023. It is uncertain whether the issue of this camouflage coincided with the administrative change putting the GN under control of the FARP, but it is certain the uniform is primarily worn by operational units of the Guard such as the Brigada de Intervenção e Reserva.

Uncomfirmed Camouflage