Central Security Forces
Encyclopedia
 Military of EgyptMilitary of Egypt The Egyptian Armed Forces are the largest in Africa, and the Arab World, and is the tenth largest in the world, consisting of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptian Air Force and Egyptian Air Defense Command.... |
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| Military manpower | |
| Military age | 18 years of age for conscript military service; 3-year service obligation (2001) |
| Availability | males age 18-49: 18,347,560 (2005) |
| Fit for military service | males age 18-49: 15,540,234 (2005) |
| Reaching military age annually | males: 802,920 (2005) |
| Active troops | 450,000 (Ranked 11th) |
| Military expenditures | |
| Dollar figure | $2.44 billion (2003)+ $1.3 billion of U.S military aid annually |
| Percent of GDP | 3.4% (2004) |
The 350,000 strong Central Security Forces ( Quwwāt al-Amn al-Markazī, often shortened to Al-Amn al-Markazī) CSF
CSF
-Biology and Medicine:* Cerebrospinal fluid* Colony-Stimulating Factor* Cancer slope factor* Classical swine fever* Certain safety factor-Military:* Central Security Forces , an Egyptian paramilitary force...
organization is an Egyptian Paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
force which is responsible for assisting the Egyptian National Police (ENP) for the security of governmental fixed sites, foreign embassies & missions, riots & crowds control, publicly crowded events, high risk arrests, disaster response and SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
operations.
History
In 1977, a decision was made to create the Central Security Forces from well trained and equipped police forces on large scale covering the whole country under the command of the Ministry of Interior (Egypt)Ministry of Interior (Egypt)
The Ministry of Interior of Egypt is part of the Cabinet of Egypt. It is responsible for law enforcement in Egypt. The current minister is Mansour el-Essawy, appointed 5 March 2011....
to conduct special police operations in response to operational needs. The creation of those forces followed the Paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
model, and became close – in formation, training, equipping and functioning – to the French Gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
and the Italian Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
.
Following the 1973 Arab Israeli War between Egypt and Israel – then settling the 1973 & 1974 Ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
agreements; the 1979 Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty was signed and the subsequent Israeli withdrawal from the rest of Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
occurred. The Treaty stipulated the Egyptian government refrain from deploying regular Egyptian Armed Forces units in the eastern part of Sinai that directly border Israel (Zone “C”). The Egyptian government then tasked the Central Security Forces to take up the task. The CSF force deployed is effectively a motorized light infantry force without the heavy weapons and equipment.
The Egyptian government subsequently came to rely on the CSF to quench any source of instability within the country and to uphold the emergency laws imposed on Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
since the 1981 assassination of the President of Egypt
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
, Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
.
In 1986, hundreds of third category, low ranking, CSF personnel (soldiers) staged a four day mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
due to the spread of false rumors among its conscripts of extending their (three year) conscription time; the insurrection was suppressed by the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
. They rampaged through the suburb of Giza burning some hotels and shops in tourist areas. They also burned dozens of cars and buses. Over 20,000 members were reportedly dismissed from service and the agitators received correctional punishment after being tried before Criminal Court for Arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
, Violent Riots, and Insubordination
Insubordination
Insubordination is the act of willfully disobeying an authority. Refusing to perform an action that is unethical or illegal is not insubordination; neither is refusing to perform an action that is not within the scope of authority of the person issuing the order.Insubordination is typically a...
according to Penal Code.
Some reports related that mutiny to a conspiracy against the Minister of Interior in charge by then (Gen. Ahmed Roshdy) due to his policy.
After the suppression the government promised to overhaul the force by raising its entry standards, increasing payment and bettering living conditions in their camps.
Organization
The CSF is headed by a Director General, who is an Assistant Minister and is organized as follows:- Main Headquarters (MHQ).
- Special Operations Command.
- (6) Specialized Training Institutes.
- (8) AOR Operational Regions – CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Giza, Central & Western Nile DeltaNile DeltaThe Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
, Eastern Nile Delta, Suez CanalSuez CanalThe Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
& Sinai, Southern Upper EgyptUpper EgyptUpper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
, and Northern Upper Egypt.
Recruitment
The Central Security Forces personnel consists of three categories;- Ranking OfficersOfficer (armed forces)An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
(graduated from Police College of (4) Academic years), - Sub-officers (graduated from Police Institute of (2) Academic years), and
- Soldiers (of "6" months training) recruited entirely from the low educated conscripts, as the more educated and college graduates usually end up in the different branches of the regular military obligatory service.