Marovoanise Defence Forces

Military of Marovoay
Marovoay
Motto	Ho an'ny Vahoaka (For the People)
Founded	1966
Current form	1966
Service branches	Marovoanise Land Forces Marovoanise Naval Forces Marovoanise Air Forces Marovoanise Rocket Forces
Headquarters	5 Centre Square, Toliara
Leadership
President	Tsiory Razafimahaleo
Chief of Joint Staff	Samoela Rabetafika
Personnel
Military age	18
Conscription	Y
Available for military service	4,900,729 males, age 18-45, 4,909,061 females, age 18-45
Fit for military service	3,390,071 males, age 18-45, 3,682,180 females, age 18-45
Reaching military age annually	248,184 males, 246,769 females
Active personnel	22,500
Reserve personnel	28,000
Deployed personnel	18
Expenditure
Budget	MvR 269,379,086,957 (RyM 387,232,438) ($619,571,900)
Percent of GDP	5%

Overview

The Marovoanise Self Defence Forces (Allessian: Marovoaniseer Selfverdedigingsmagte, Marovoanise: Hery fiarovan-tena Marovoay) is the national military of Marovoay. The IISS detailed the armed forces in 2005 as including an Army of 18,000, a Navy of 2,300, and a 2,200-strong Air Force.

The armed forces are involved in the ongoing Marovoanise political crisis.

History

Pre-Colonial Marovoay

The rise of centralized kingdoms among the Mitsaka'a, Ambala, and other ethnic groups produced the island's first standing armies by the 16th century, initially equipped with spears but later with muskets, cannons, and other firearms. By the early 19th century, the Mitsaka'a sovereigns of the Kingdom of Mitsaka'a had brought much of the island under their control by mobilizing an army of trained and armed soldiers numbering as high as 30,000. King Lantoniania (1690–1742) raised the first standing army in the highland Kingdom of Mitsaka'a with a handful of guns, although for at least two centuries the armies of the Ambala were much larger and better equipped, possessing thousands of muskets obtained principally through trade with foreign partners. By the early 19th century, however, the army of the Kingdom of Mitsaka'a was able to bring much of the island under Mitsaka'a control.

Mitsaka'a Queen Nirinaharifidy, like her predecessors, utilized the tradition of fanampoana (service due to the sovereign in lieu of taxes) to conscript a large portion of the population of Mitsaka'a into military service, enabling the queen to raise a standing army that was estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers. By the late 19th century, Allessian plans to colonize Marovoay were gaining momentum, leading British mercenaries to provide training to the queen's army in an unsuccessful bid to repel the Allessian troops. Allessian attacks on coastal towns in the later part of the century prompted then-Prime Minister Rahéliarisoa to solicit foreign (tbd) assistance to provide training to the Mitsaka'a monarchy's army. Despite the training and leadership provided by foreign (tbd) military advisers, the Mitsaka'a army was unable to withstand Allessian weaponry and was forced to surrender following an attack on the royal palace at Toliara. Marovoay was colonized in 1896, and during colonial times 46,000 Marovoanise served in the Allessian Army, with over 1,700 of those passing away in service.

Post-Colonial Marovoay

Marovoay gained political independence and sovereignty over its military in 1960. Since this time Marovoay has never engaged in an armed conflict, whether against another state or within its own borders. As such the armed forces of Marovoay have primarily served a peacekeeping role. However, the military has occasionally intervened to restore order during periods of political unrest. When President Masina Rakotonirina was forced to step down in 1972, a military directorate ensured an interim government before appointing one of its own, Admiral Aurélien Razafinjato, to lead the country into its socialist Second Republic. He launched a strategy of obligatory national armed or civil service for all young citizens regardless of gender. The majority were channelled into civil service, including agriculture and education programs for rural development. Razafinjato would also mobilize elements of the military to pacify unarmed protesters, occasionally using violent means. His order to fire upon unarmed protesters in 1979 was the catalyst for the transition to the democratic Third Republic in 1979. The military remained largely neutral during the protracted standoff between incumbent Voavy and challenger Mandresy Jaomanoro in the disputed 1989 presidential elections. By contrast, in 1998 a segment of the army openly supported Tsiory Razafimahaleo in his coup d'état against the Rakotomandimbindraibe government. It is widely believed that payoffs were involved in persuading these military personnel to change camps in support of the coup d'état.

Modern Marovoay

As of 2010, the military of Marovoay is composed of the 8,100 paramilitary of the National Gendarmerie and the 22,500 members of the Armed Forces. According to intelligence reports, the latter includes an Army of 18,000, a Navy of 2,300, and a 2,200-strong Air Force. Military service is voluntary and limited to citizens aged 18 to 25; every citizen of either gender is required to perform either military or civil service for a minimum of 18 months. However, because of a lack of up-to-date census data, this requirement is not currently enforced. The Gendarmerie recruits Marovoanise citizens between the ages of 20 and 30 (or 35 if the recruit has prior military service). Military expenses constituted just over three percent of GDP. Under Razafimahaleo, military expenditure increased from RyM 80,000,000 in 1998 to RyM 387,232,408 in 2013.