Eritrean Gendarmerie (Italian Empire)

Eritrean Gendarmerie
Gendarmeria Eritrea
Eritrean Gendarmerie War Flag
Active	1960-present
Country	Principality of Eritrea
Allegiance	Italian Empire
Branch	Gendarmerie
Size	35,000
General Command	Viale Crispi, 42, Asmara
Nickname	Zaptié
Commanders
Current commander	Stefano Joachim De Rossi

The Eritrean Gendarmerie (Italian: Gendarmeria Eritrea) is the militarized police force of Eritrea. Its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism. It is under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Interior of the Principality of Eritrea.

The Eritrean Gendarmerie operates throughout Eritrea. There are no local or "municipal" police departments in Eritrea. The General Command of the Eritrean Gendarmerie is located in Asmara. In an emergency, the Eritrean Gendarmerie can be reached by dialing 112 from any telephone in Eritrea. Eritrean Gendarmes carry the title of Zaptié, after the indigenous units attached to the Italian Royal Carabinieri recruited for the first time in 1888.

A military atmosphere prevails - dress codes, behavior standards, and rank differentiations are strictly adhered to. Esprit de corps is inculcated with regular ceremonies and institutionalization of rituals such as applauding personnel dispatched to or returning from assignments and formally welcoming senior officers to the mess hall at all meals.

History

Although law enforcement was carried out from the very beginning of the Italian presence in today Eritrea, the direct ancestors of the Eritrean Gendarmerie are the Royal Carabinieri units and commands in Eritrea and the Colonial Police Corps, then Italian Africa Police. The Carabinieri had recruited indigenous units since 1888 and over the decades formed the Zaptié. In 1936 the Eastern Italian Africa was established (also modifying Eritrean borders), but as of 1945 the old partitions returned in effect. Nonetheless, the Italian African Police (Polizia dell'Africa Italiana, P.A.I.) was the overall organization all over the Italian Empire. The Eritrean Gendarmerie was established on 1 December 1960, following the dissolution of the Italian African Police; the newly established Eritrean Police corps inherited about 1,200 Eritrean policemen and 800 Italian policemen. Shortly afterwards, the Gendarmerie absorbed the Higher Command Carabinieri. In the immediate aftermath of the establishment, the Eritrean Gendarmerie was little more than the Eritrean command of the Italian Africa Police, lacking Schools and even most of decentralized administrative services. On 1 January 1963 the Eritrean Police was renamed Eritrean Gendarmerie, in order to emphasize the military nature of the corps.

In 1963 Eritrea's status was changed in Special Government Region, and the process marked the increased autonomy of the new Corps. After a transitional phase, Schools and other facilities were established by 1969. The first commander was former P.A.I. Colonel Adalberto Missero, and all officers were Italians or Italian Eritreans. Starting from the mid-1970s, the corps pursued a moderate course to increase indigenous elements policy in order to enable indigenous officers to take the command and the management, also because the ongoing debate in Italy wether the former colonies had to be disbanded or not.

The Officers School was established in 1974, and immediately began to train local officers; as of 1978 African Eritreans made the 12% of the officers corps. 1970s were marked by the heavy Soviet influence over Eritrea (and the Italian East Africa in general) with several insurgencies and small-scale rebellions. U.S. and other Western influence caused tensions as well. By mid-to-late 1980s all senior position were taken over by Eritreans born in the Principality: the first black Chief of Staff was Haile Menghelli (1984-1987), while in 1988 Major General Joachim Asewerki was appointed as the first Tigrinya officer to hold the office of Commandant-General.

With the fall of the Soviet bloc, the region experienced a significant increase of instability; prolonged infighting in Yemen and Sudanese unrest caused in 1999 the transfer of the Border Guard from the Eritrean National Princely Guard to the Eritrean Gendarmerie, under the general supervision of the National Royal Italian Army. 2000s and 2010s have been marked by growing instability due to the spread of political Islamism.

Name

In Eritrea, due to the numerous ethnic groups, the official name of the Eritrean Gendarmerie is provided only in Italian language, and it is "Gendarmeria Eritrea" ; the Italian name is reproduced on vehicles and buildings. Despite the Italian name being the official one, the official name of the Eritrean Gendarmerie is also translated in local languages.

Mission

The Eritrean Gendarmerie is responsible for public security, maintaining public order, securing public events and rallies, dismantling suspicious objects and explosives, riot and crowd control, general law enforcement, crime fighting, detective work, covert operations against drug networks, investigating suspects, road traffic control, handling civilian complaints, handling youth violence, educational campaigns.

Organization

The Eritrean Gendarmerie is a mixed draftee-professional force, with some 35,000 Gendarmes. Officers and agents of the Eritrean Gendarmerie depend on their superiors. For institutional services the Corps Commands depend on government authorities having jurisdiction over the area where they are located. Those authorities, except in extraordinary cases, only turn to commanders who then give nocessarie provisions to subordinate personnel. The organization of the Gendarmerie follows both the demographics of Eritrea and the administrative divisions. Broadly speaking, the Gendarmerie has a Territorial Organization, a Mobile Organization (for armed services) and a Training Organization; some specialist units are directly attached to the General Command. The organization is closely modelled on the Carabinieri structure, with further adaptations in order to deal with arising security needs.

At its top, the Gendarmerie has the General Command, based in Asmara, led by a Commandant-General (a Major General), who is assisted by a Deputy Commander and a Chief of Staff (Brigader General). Gendarmerie Schools are all based in Asmara. There are training courses dedicated to officers, subofficers and troops; there are also technical validation courses for subofficers and specialization courses. The Mobile organization is structured as three armed Services dependent on the Commandant-General (actually on the Deputy Commander).

Central organization

The Eritrean Gendarmerie are divided into the following central subdivisions:

• General Command
• International Relations Office;
• Legal Counsel Office;
• Audit & Accounts Office;
• Public Complaints Office;
• Controller Office;
• Spokesman Office;
• Disciplinary Commission;
• Air Support Command;
• Immigration Control Command;
• Economic Crimes Command;
• Service Administration Command;
• Healthcare and Safety Command;
• Training Command;
• Administrative police Command;
• Investigation & Intelligence Command: manages the criminal police duties on nation-wide level and manages the Central Criminal Division;
• Logistic Support Command;
• Organization & Planning Command;
• Traffic Police Command;
• Security Units Command: oversees the operational units.

Provincial Commands

A Provincial Commander wearing Service Uniform. Provincial Commanders are distinguished from other general officers by the aguilettes.

The Eritrean Gendarmerie is subivided into eight Provincial Commands (Italian: Comando Provinciale), one for each of the Provinces of Eritra:

• Barca, headquartered in Agordat;
• Sael, headquartered in Nacfa;
• Senit, headquartered in Cheren;
• Semhar, headquartered in Massaua;
• Serae, headquartered in Mendefera;
• Amasien, headquartered in Asmara;
• Acchelè-Guzai, headquartered in Addì Caieh;
• Dancalia, headquartered in Assab.

Provincial Commands have the operational responsibility to coordinate subordinate units according general orders issued by the General Command, as well as to carry out general police duties. District Commands are subordinate to Provincial Commands and are territory control bodies.

Organisation

The performance of police services is provided by Provincial and District Commands. In the capital city of the Province, it functions the Provincial Command; such Provincial Commands are equated to Italian Questure since late 19th Century (when they presided over 7 Commissariats). In District capital towns are established detached District Commands, headed by a Gendarmerie officer reporting to the Provincial Commander. In the few municipalities where an Gendarmerie Station (subordinate to the District Commands or directly to the Provincial Commands) is not established the Municipal Commissioner exercises the functions of an officer of public security under the direction of the Gendarmerie Provincial Commander.
The offices of the Provincial Commands are divided into four divisions: the first (cabinet) waits to services more directly aimed at the maintenance of order, the second (police) provides for the discovery of the crime and is maintained for such purposes, in direct contact with the judicial authorities and the third (administrative police) exercises functions of a preventive nature, while the territorial control is performed by the fourth Division.

District Command

The District Command is a structure of the Eritrean Gendarmerie, framed in the territorial organization of the Provincial Command. The District Command is an operational detachment of the higher organizations: inside the District Command are present, albeit smaller and tailored to the operational needs of the covered area, the same offices and services available to the Provincial Command. The operation jurisdiction of these Commands is extended on their District.
Within the District Command there are typically present facilities at which the citizen can carry out different practices of administrative police (issuance or renewal of passport, firearms license, administrative licensing, residence permit, etc..). There is also an "Anti-Crime Squad", in which is possible to file a complaint, issue lawsuit, filing a complaint and generally make the most of the possible actions of a legal nature. In Eritrea there are 55 District Commands.

Territorial Station

The Territorial Station is the lowest operational unit of the Eritrean Gendarmerie apparatus, articulated on the organic forces ranging from a minimum of 4 to over 20 Gendarmes. Stations are staffed only with troops and subofficers, commanded by a Subofficer of the minimum rank of Marshal. The station is responsible in a very specific area: large portions of the civilian infrastructure or city, or one or more municipalities. The Station Commander is responsible for direct control of land and related institutional activities. The Eritrean soil is so carefully covered by the dense network of stations, which are also the custodians of the first task of protecting public order and safety within the area they encompass, as well as the first line of counter-espionage activities. The Station Commander has several duties: he has the immediate direction of institutional service within his jurisdiction, where carries out the investigation, both proactive and delegated by the Prosecutor, as Public Security officer he intervenes in public and private disputes and exercises all initiatives in order to take appropriate preventive measures against socially dangerous people and, from a strictly managerial point of view, he is responsible for technical and operational using, for discipline and staff training, as well as for the properties, vehicle, computer and electronic equipment and furnishings.
The station is the central element of territorial control and they are located in buildings specially constructed or upgraded in order to promote an effective defence. The premises of the station include a security prison, a chamber of discipline, a kitchen and a dining hall, housing the commander, one double every two agents, and, if married, one for each room and a garage.
The Station reports to the relevant District or Provincial (for the District directly administered by the Provincial capital) commander. Territorial Stations are usually responsible for more than one municipality, but the Gendarmerie Marshal who is the Station Commander is the Local Authority of Public Security only in the municipality where the Station is located in and only if in that municipality there is not a Provincial Command or a District Command.

Operational forces

The Eritrean Gendarmerie has three Armed Services: the Border Guard, the Special Security Unit and the Provincial Mobile Units. All such units and forces depend on the Security Units Command.

• Border Police: it is the combat arm of the police and mainly serves in unquiet areas. The Border Police has both professional officers and conscripts;
• Special Security Unit: it is the police elite counter terror hostage rescue unit.
• Provincial Mobile Units: they are the on-call counter-terror and riot police units in each Province. They have gained a reputation of being an elite force on call and ready at any time, although charged by many of using excess brutality.

In addition to the Armed Services, there are also some security units tasked with special duties, both as security details in favour of some specific bodies and as specially-trained offensive units:

• Security Unit of the Princely Palace;
• Security Unit of the Gendarmerie Command;
• Security Unit of the Judicial Premises;
• Escort and Protection Unit;
• Special Counterterrorism Unit;
• Tactical Rapid Deployment Unit;
• Infiltrations Interception Unit.

Eritrean Border Guard

The Eritrean Border Police (Italian: Polizia di Frontiera Eritrea) is, since 1999, the border security branch of the Eritrean Gendarmerie. While its main task is securing Eritrean's external borders (mainly northern border, shared with Sudan), it has also been deployed in assisting both the Eritrean National Princely Guard and the Italian National Royal Army, as well as for counter-terrorism and law enforcement operations.
The Eritrean Border Police is composed of professional officers on payroll and field Gendarmes redirected from the conscription. All border Gendarmes receive combat training and in addition are also trained for counter-terrorism, riot control and police work. Excellent Policemen can specialize in some profession and receive special training to become snipers, buggie-drivers, dog operators, bomb squad, etc. Because of their combat training, border Gendarmes are employed in unique areas, where there are greater risks for riots, violence and unrest.

Special Counterterrorism Unit

The Special Counterterrorism Unit (Unità Speciale Antiterrorismo, U.S.A.T.) is the undercover special operations unit directly subordinate to the intelligence. As a secret unit, its personnel do not wear uniforms and are not allowed to disclose their membership of the organization. The U.S.A.T. members are often expected to carry out complex missions with little or no preparation, often involving daylight raids in volatile areas outside Eritrean borders.

Central Criminal Division

The Central Criminal Division (Italian: Divisione Centrale Anticrimine, Di.C.A.C.) is an Eritrean crime-fighting umbrella organization within the Eritrean Gendarmerie. It is tasked with investigating national crimes and corruption and it is subdivided into five Units:

• Financial Investigations Unit;
• Port Police Group: deals with port policing in cooperation with Cross-Straits Crime Investigations Unit, with two pawns in Massaua and in Assab;
• Cross-Straits Crime Investigations Unit: deals with cross-straits organized crime under the Inspectorate-General A.O.I.;
• Financial Investigations Unit;
• Locating Stolen Vehicles Unit;
• Prisons Investigations Unit.

Traffic Police Command

The Traffic Police Command (Italian: Comando della Polizia Stradale) is tasked to enforce traffic laws and regulation in order to guarantee safety and smoothness of circulation on the Eritrean roads. The Traffic Police Command (based in Asmara) is subdivided into three Districts: North (headquartered in Cheren), Centre (headquartered in Asmara) and South (headquartered in Assab).

Equipment

While the Gendarmerie does have highly mobile capacities, it does lack of heavy combat/fighting equipment, with the exception of the Border Guard.

Air vehicles

The Eritrean Gendarmerie deploys a total of 22 helicopters:

• 2 x Agusta ET101 lift helicopter;
• 2 x NHIndustries NH90 multirole helicopter (Border Guard);
• 10 x Leonardo B412 patrol helicopter;
• 10 x Leonardo B212 patrol/utility helicopter.

Ground vehicles

The Eritrean Gendarmerie uses several types of ground vehicles. All of them are Italian, both imported from Italy and built in Eritrea itself:

• VIC Freccia infantry fighting vehicle (Border Guard);
• VCC Puma armoured fighting vehicle (Border Guard);
• VIC Dardo infantry fighting vehicle (Border Guard);
• VTLM Lince multirole light vehicle (General use);
• VRT Ombra reconnaissance vehicle;
• ACTL Iveco SM44 Heavy Truck 8x8;
• ACTL Iveco SM44 Heavy Truck 6x6;
• ACTL Iveco SM44 Light Truck 4x4;
• Iveco VM 90 multirole light vehicle (General use);
• TT-12 armoured personnel carrier (General use);
• De Tomasi Scirocco AR90 4x4 patrol car (General use);
• Fiat Panda 4x4 patrol car (General use);
• Alfa Romeo 156 patrol car (General use).

Personal weapons

• Beretta AR70/90 assault rifle (General use);
• PM12 submachine gun (General use);
• MG 42 medium machine gun (Border Guard);
• Breda MIT11 light machine gun (General use);
• Benelli M3 combat shotgun (Border Guard);
• Benelli M4 shotgun (General use);
• Beretta 92 semiautomatic pistol (General use).

Ranks and insignia

The Eritrean Gendarmerie retains some of the rank titles of the former Royal Corps of Colonial Troops, of the Carabinieri colonial units and of the former Italian Africa Police; however, the rank structure is fully integrated within the corrispondence grades of the military of the Kingdom of Italy and of the Italian Empire at large. Eritrean Gendarmerie uniforms are khaki.
The Eritrean Gendarmerie is led by a Major General; when the Italian Lieutenant General conducts his inspections and visits, he wears his Italian uniform. From a graphic point of view, the officer insignia pattern are loosely inspired to the Italian trend: junior officers wear red-circled stars, senior officers wear blue-circled stars with crossed sword-and-baton, and general officers wear green-circled stars with crossed swords.
As a whole, the Eritrean Gendarmerie is a State military corps, like the Royal Police Corps, and is part of the Italian military system, although its State is Eritrea, and not Italy strictu sensu.

Eritrean Gendarmerie military officers ranks and insignia
Eritrean Gendarmerie rank (Italian rank title only)	Sottotenente	Luogotenente	Capitano	Maggiore	Luogotenente Colonnello	Colonnello	Brigadier Generale	Maggior Generale
English translation	Second Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Captain	Major	Lieutenant Colonel	Colonel	Brigadier General	Major General
Royal Police Corps rank (also Italian translation)	Sottotenente	Tenente	Capitano	Maggiore	Tenente Colonnello	Colonnello	Brigadier Generale	Maggior Generale
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Sottotenente	Tenente	Capitano	Maggiore	Tenente Colonnello	Colonnello	Generale di Brigata	Generale di Divisione
Corresponding Army rank (British)	Second Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Captain	Major	Lieutenant Colonel	Colonel	Brigadier	Major General
Shoulder board insignia

Eritrean Gendarmerie Subofficers ranks and insignia
Ethiopian Gendarmerie rank	Maresciallo Sciumbasci	Maresciallo Capo Sciumbasci Capo	Maresciallo Superiore Sciumbasci Superiore
Royal Police Corps rank	Maresciallo di P.S.	Maresciallo Capo di P.S.	Maresciallo Maggiore di P.S.
Italian translation	Investito del Potere	Investito del Potere Capo	Investito del Potere Superiore
English translation	Chargé of Power	Chief Chargé of Power	Chargé of Power Major
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Maresciallo	Maresciallo Capo	Maresciallo Maggiore
Corresponding Army rank (British)	Warrant Officer Class Two	Warrant Officer Second Class	Warrant Officer First Class
Shoulder board insignia

Ethiopian Gendarmerie Enlisted ranks and insignia
Ethiopian Gendarmerie Italian title Ethiopian Gendarmerie Eritrean title	Zaptié	Appuntato Muntaz	Appuntato Maggiore Muntaz Maggiore	Appuntato Capo Muntaz Capo	Sergente Bulucbasci	Sergente Maggiore Bulucbasci Maggiore
Royal Police Corps rank	Agente	Agente Scelto	Appuntato	Appuntato Capo	Vicebrigadiere	Brigadiere
English translation	Policeman	Corporal	Corporal	First Corporal	Sergeant	Sergeant Major
Italian translation	Poliziotto	Caporale	Caporale Maggiore	Caporale Maggiore	Comandante di Plotone	Comandante Maggiore di Plotone
Corresponding Army rank (Italian)	Soldato	Caporale	Caporale maggiore	Caporale Capo	Sergente	Sergente Maggiore
Corresponding Army rank (British)	Private	Lance Corporal	Corporal	Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant (senior echelon)
Sleeve insignia	No insignia
Shoulder board insignia

See also

• Principality of Eritrea (Kingdom of Italy)
• Eritrean National Princely Guard (Italian Empire)