Comparative army officer ranks of Africa

Rank comparison chart of officer ranks for armies/land forces of African states.

Officers

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
 Algerian Land Forces[1]
فريق أول‎‎
Farīq 'awwal
فريق
Farīq
لواء
Liwāʾ
عميد
'Amīd
عقيد
'Aqīd
مقدم
Muqaddam
رائد
Rā'id
نقيب
Naqīb
ملازم أول
Mulāzim 'awwal
ملازم
Mulāzim
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Angolan Army[2]
General de exército General Tenente-general Brigadeiro Coronel Tenente-coronel Mayor Capitão Tenente Sub-tenente
Benin Benin Army[3]
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Botswana Ground Force[4]
Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain First lieutenant Second lieutenant
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Ground Forces[5]
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel-major Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Burundi Army[6]
Général Lieutenant-général Général-major Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Major Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
Jenerai Riyetena jenerai Jenerai majoro Jenerai wa birigade Koroneri Riyetena koroneri Majoro Kapitene Riyetena Suriyetena
Cameroon Ground Forces[7][8][9]
Général d'armée Général de corps Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
Cape Verde Cape Verdean National Guard[10]
Major-general Brigadeiro-general Coronel Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Primeiro tenente Tenente Subtenente
Central African Republic Central African Ground Forces
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-Lieutenant
 Chadian Ground Forces
Maréchal Général d'armée Général de corps Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-Lieutenant
Comorian Army
Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-Lieutenant
 Land Forces of the DR Congo
Général d'armée Lieutenant-général Général-major Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Major Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
Congolese Ground Forces[11]
Général d'armée Général de corps Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Djiboutian Army
Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Egyptian Army[12]
مشیر
Mushir
فريق أول‎‎
Fariq 'awal
فريق
Fariq
لواء
Liwa
عميد
Amid
عقيد
Aqid
مقدم
Muqaddam
رائد
Ra'id
نقيب
Naqib
ملازم أول
Mulazim awwal
ملازم
Mulazim
Army of Equatorial Guinea
General de division General de brigada Coronel Teniente coronel Comandante Capitán Teniente Alférez
 Eritrean Army
Major general Brigadier general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain First lieutenant Second lieutenant


 Ethiopian Ground Forces[13]
የፊልድ ማርሻል ጄኔራል
Yefīlidi marishali jēnērali
ጄነራል
Jēnerali
ሌተናል ጄነራል
Lētenali jēnerali
ሜጀር ጄነራል
Mējeri jēnerali
ብርጋዴር ጄነራል
Birigadēri jēnerali
ኮሎኔል
Kolonēli
ሌተናንት ኮሎኔል
Lētenaniti kolonēli
ሻለቃ
Shalek’a
ሻምበል
Shamibeli
የመቶ ዓለቃ
Yemeto ‘alek’a
ምክትል የመቶ ዓለቃ
Mikitili yemeto ‘alek’a
 Gabonese Army[14]
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-Lieutenant
 Gambian National Army
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain First lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Ghana Army
Field marshal General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
Guinea Ground Forces
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
Army of Guinea-Bissau
General Tenente-general Major-general Brigadeir-general Coronel Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Primeiro tenente Tenente Subtenente
Ivory Coast Ground Forces[15]
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel-major Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Kenya Army[16]
Commander-in-Chief General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Lesotho Army[17]
Field marshal Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
Liberian Ground Forces[18]
Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain First lieutenant Second lieutenant
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
 Libyan Ground Forces[19]
مشير
Mushir
فريق أول‎‎
Fariq 'awal
فريق
Fariq
لواء
Liwa
عميد
Amid
عقيد
Aqid
مقدم
Muqaddam
رائد
Ra'id
نقيب
Naqib
ملازم أول
Mulazim awwal
ملازم
Mulazim
Madagascar Ground Forces[20]
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Malawi Army
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Malian Army[21]
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel-major Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
Mauritanian National Army[22]
فريق
Fariq
لواء
Liwa
عميد
Amid
مقدم
Muqaddam
رائد
Ra'id
نقيب
Naqib
ملازم أول
Mulazim awwal
ملازم
Mulazim
Mauritius Mauritius No army


 Royal Moroccan Army[23]
Maréchal Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel-major Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Mozambican Army
Coronel-general Tenente-general Major-general Coronel Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Tenente Alferes
 Namibian Army[24]
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Niger Army[25]
Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Nigerian Army[26]
Field marshal General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier-general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
Rwandan Land Forces[27]
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
Army of São Tomé and Príncipe
Brigadeiro Coronel Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Tenente Alferes
Senegalese Army
Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
Seychelles Army[28]
Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Sierra Leone Army
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain First lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Somali National Army[29]
Sareeye guud Sareeye gaas Sareeye guuto Gashaanle sare Gashaanle dhexe Gashaanle Dhamme Laba xídígle Xídígle
 Somaliland National Army
Sareeye guud Sareeye gaas Sareeye guuto Gashaanle sare Gashaanle dhexe Gashaanle Dhamme Laba xídígle Xídígle
 South African Army[30]
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
 South Sudan Army
Field marshal General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain First lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Sudanese Army[31]
مشیر
Mushir
فريق أول‎‎
Fariq 'awal
فريق
Fariq
لواء
Liwa
عميد
Amid
عقيد
Aqid
مقدم
Muqaddam
رائد
Ra'id
نقيب
Naqib
ملازم أول
Mulazim awwal
ملازم
Mulazim
Eswatini Army
Field marshal General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant 2nd lieutenant


Tanzanian Army
Jenerali Luteni jenerali Meja jenerali Brigedia jenerali Kanali Luteni kanali Meja Kapteni Luteni Luteni usu
Togolese Army[32]
Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Tunisian Army[33]
فريق أول
Fariq 'awal
فريق
Fariq
أمير لواء
'amir liwa'
عميد
Amid
عقيد
Aqid
مقدم
Muqaddam
رائد
Ra'id
نقيب
Naqib
ملازم أول
Mulazim awwal
ملازم
Mulazim
Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel-major Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-lieutenant
 Ugandan Land Forces[34]
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Zambian Army[35]
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Zimbabwe National Army[36]
General Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ranks". mdn.dz. Ministry of National Defence (Algeria). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Postos do Exército". faa.ao (in Portuguese). Angolan Army. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  3. ^ "LOI N° 2005-43 DU 26 JUIN 2006" (PDF). ilo.org (in French). National Assembly (Benin). 26 June 2006. pp. 19–20, 35–36. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Ranks". Government of Botswana. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  5. ^ "LOI N° 037-2016/AN PORTANT CONDITIONS D'AVANCEMENT DES PERSONNELS D'ACTIVE DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES" (PDF) (in French). 2015. pp. 17–21. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Loi organique N°1/ 04 du 20 février 2017 portant Missions, Organisation, Composition, Instruction, Conditions de service et Fonctionnement de la Force de Défense Nationale du Burundi" (PDF). fdnb.bi/ (in French). Government of Burundi. p. 45. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Grades Et Appellations Officier Generaux Armee De Terre". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Grades Et Appellations Officier Superieurs Armee De Terre". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Grades Et Appellations Officier Subalternes Armee De Terre". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Patente". fa.gov.cv (in Portuguese). Cape Verdean Armed Forces. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Grades appellations distinctions". defense.gouv.cg (in French). Ministry of National Defense (Republic of the Congo). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Ranks of Military Officers". mod.gov.eg. Ministry of Defense (Egypt). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Ethiopia introduces its first Field Marshal rank amid changes to insignia". ethiopiancitizen.com. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Nos Galons". Ministère de la Défense nationale. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  15. ^ "GRADES / APPELLATIONS / DISTINCTIONS". defense.gouv.ci (in French). Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  16. ^ "KDF Ranks". mod.go.ke. Ministry of Defence - Kenya. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Ranks in the Army". Lesotho Defence Force. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  19. ^ Tartter, Jean R. (1989). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Libya: a country study. Area Handbook (4th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 270–271. LCCN 88600480. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  20. ^ "LOI N° 96-029 portant Statut Général des Militaires" (PDF). defense.gov.mg (in French). Ministry of Defence (Madagascar). 15 November 1996. p. 2. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  21. ^ "2011 - Plaquette sur les insignes et blasons des Forces Armées du Mali" (in French). 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  22. ^ "رتب الضباط" [Officer ranks]. armee.mr/ (in Arabic). Armed Forces of Mauritania. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  23. ^ Ehrenreich, Frederich (1985). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold D. (ed.). Morocco: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American University. pp. 350–351. LCCN 85600265. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Government Notice" (PDF). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  25. ^ Bureau international des droits des enfants (December 2012). "État des Lieux: Formation des forces de défense et de sécurité sur les droit de l'enfant au Niger" (PDF) (in French). p. 34. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  26. ^ Smaldone, Joseph P. (1992). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Nigeria: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 296–297. LCCN 92009026. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  27. ^ "RDF Insignia". mod.gov.rw. Government of the Republic of Rwanda. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  28. ^ "Rank structure". spdf.sc. Seychelles People's Defence Forces. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  29. ^ Ehrenreich, Frederick (1982). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold N. (ed.). Somalia: a country study (PDF). Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 257. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Uniform: Rank insignia". army.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  31. ^ "الرتب العسكرية" [Military ranks]. mod.gov.sd/ (in Arabic). Republic of Sudan Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  32. ^ "Journal officiel de la république togolaise" (PDF) (in French). 12 February 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  33. ^ "Décret n° 72-380 du 6 décembre 1972, portant Statut particulier des militaires". legislation-securite.tn (in French). Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  34. ^ "Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act" (PDF). The Uganda Gazette. CXII (46). Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation: 1851–1854. 18 September 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  35. ^ Munamunungu, Hamwiinde (1 May 2023). "Understanding Military Ranks". Zambian Observer. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  36. ^ Ehrenreich, Frederick (1983). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold D. (ed.). Zimbabwe: a Country Study. Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 267. LCCN 83-11946. Retrieved 5 July 2022.