Senegal

Republic of Senegal

The territory making up the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal) was once part of the Ghana Empire, during which time Islam came to predominate the religious beliefs of native Senegalese. The Wolof (or Jolof) Empire emerged in the region in 1360, dominating much of the region until 1549. Beginning in the 15th century, various European nations competed for trade with coastal chiefdoms, including slaves. In the 1850s, France began to expand inland, subduing the indigenous population with military force as necessary.

Merging briefly with French Sudan in 1959 to form the Mali Federation, Senegal achieved full independence in August of 1960, electing Léopold Sédar Senghor as its first president. The country endured frequent violations of its borders by Portuguese Guinea in the 1960s and 1970s, forcing Senegal to petition the United Nations on several occasions. The nation joined briefly with its neighbor, Gambia to form Senegambia in 1982, but the union was dissolved after seven years (1989).

Since 1982, a separatist movement (Mouvement des forces démocratiques de Casamance) from the Casamance Region has clashed periodically with Senegalese armed forces in what is often termed the Casamance Conflict. The MDFC signed a peace agreement in 2014, although a low level conflict continues into the present day.

The Forces armées du Sénégal consist of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie. Prior to 2024, France had maintained two major military installations and several smaller satellite holdings in Senegal, but these were all vacated by the middle of 2025 per an agreement with president Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The nation has enjoyed relative stability in all the years of its independence, and has been a committed participant in many peacekeeping efforts including those with ECOMOG, the United Nations, and a number of independent stabilizing efforts in Africa. The National Police share law enforcement duties with the Gendarmerie.

Senegalese Camouflage Patterns

• The French tenue de leópard or lizard camouflage pattern was in service with Senegalese forces from the early 1960s into the 1990s. Due to the wide number of suppliers, several slight variations in pattern and styles of uniform have been worn.

• In the present era, some Army units have worn the m81 woodland camouflage pattern. Some of these uniforms may have been supplied by the USA as part of a training program conducted by the US Army Special Forces.

• In the early 2000s, the older lizard camouflage pattern was replaced by a copy of the French CE woodland design, which is the standard operational design of the Senegalese Armed Forces, although there are notable color differences. Some versions retain the original colors adopted by the French Armed Forces, while others incorporate a color palette more suited to a semi-arid geography.

• Although traditionally outfitted in solid-color, olive green uniforms, some units of the Gendarmerie Nationale have worn an urban DPM camouflage pattern with a strong purple-blue colorway.

• Since at least 2012, Senegalese Special Forces operators have incoporated copies of US tricolor desert pattern camouflage into their range of operational field wear. Although some uniforms may have been supplied by US Army military training teams, it is evident that others are sourced directly from factories in Asia.

• The interesting French lizard variation seen below is now being worn by the Gendarmerie Nationale of this nation. It was first observed publicly in early 2014, but may have been adopted earlier than this.

• The National Police, in addition to plain-colored everyday work clothing, have also adopted a leaf-derivative camouflage design with a blue colorway. The uniforms have been worn both by units serving abroad, as well as domestically.