Rank comparison chart of enlisted rank for armies/ land forces of African states.

Enlisted

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Algerian Land Forces[1]
 No insignia
مساعد أول
Mosa'id awwal 		مساعد
Mosa'id 		رقيب أول
Raqib awwal 		رقيب
Raqib 		عريف أول
Earif 'awal 		عريف
Earif 		جندي
Jundiun
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Djoundi


 Angolan Army[2]
 No insignia
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Sub-sargento Primeiro-cabo Segundo-cabo Soldado
Benin Benin Army[3]
Major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de 1ère classe Soldat de 2ème classe


 Botswana Ground Force[4]
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Ground Forces[5][6]
Adjudant-chef major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef/
Maréchal des logis-chef 		Sergent/
Maréchal des logis 		Caporal-chef/
Brigadier-chef 		Caporal/
Brigadier 		Soldat de première classe Soldat de deuxeme classe


 Burundi Army[7]
 No insignia
Adjudant-major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Première sergent major Première sergent Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de 1ère classe Soldat de 2ème classe
Ajida shefu Ajida majoro Ajida Sereja majoro mu murwi wa mbere Sereja mu murwi wa mbere Sereja Kaporari shefu Kaporari Umusoda wo mu murwi wa mbere Umusoda wo mu murwi wa kabiri
Cameroon Cameroon Ground Forces
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat Première Soldat


Cape Verde Cape Verdean National Guard[8]
 No insignia
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-principal Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Sargento Furriel Instruendo curso de sargento Cabo-principal Cabo de Secção Cabo-adjunto Primeiro-cabo Segundo-cabo Instruendo curso de cabo Soldado


Central African Republic Central African Ground Forces
 No insignia
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-major Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat première Soldat


 Chadian Ground Forces
 No insignia
Sergent major Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal Soldat première Soldat


Comorian Army
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de 1ère classe Soldat


 Land Forces of the DR Congo
 No insignia
Adjudant-chef Adjudant de première classe Adjudant Premier sergent major Sergent major Premier sergent Sergent Caporal Soldat de première classe Soldat de seconde classe Recrue


Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Congolese Ground Forces[9]
 No insignia
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat 1ère classe Soldat 2e classe


 Djiboutian Army
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat Première Soldat


 Egyptian Army
مساعد أول
Mosa'id awwal 		مساعد
Mosa'id 		رقيب أول
Raqib awwal 		رقيب
Raqib 		عريف
'arif 		جندي
Jundi


Army of Equatorial Guinea
Brigada Sargento primero Sarjento Cabo primero Cabo Soldado


 Eritrean Army
 No insignia
Master Sergeant Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Private first class Private


 Ethiopian Ground Forces[10]
 No insignia
ሻለቃ ባሻ
Shalek’a basha 		ሻለቃ መጋቢ ባሻ
Shalek’a megabī basha 		ሻምበል ባሻ
Shamibeli basha 		መጋቢ ሀምሳ ዓለቃ
Megabī hāmisa ‘alek’a 		ሀምሳ ዓለቃ
Hāmisa ‘alek’a 		አስር ዓለቃ
Āsiri ‘alek’a 		ምክትል አስር ዓለቃ
Mikitili āsiri ‘alek’a
Command sergeant major Staff sergeant major First sergeant Master sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private


 Gabonese Army
Adjudant-chef major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat première Soldat


 Gambian National Army
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


 Ghana Army
 No insignia
Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer Class 2 Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance Corporal Private
(or equivalent)


Guinea Ground Forces
Major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de 1ère classe Soldat de 2ème classe


Army of Guinea-Bissau
Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Terceiro-sargento Primeiro-Soldado Soldado


Ivory Coast Ground Forces[11]
Adjudant-chef major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de première classe Soldat de seconde classe


 Kenya Army[12]
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


 Lesotho Army[13]
 No insignia
Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer Class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


Liberian Ground Forces[14]
 No insignia
Command sergeant major Master sergeant Sergeant first class Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Private first class Private Private


Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Libyan Ground Forces[15]
 No insignia
Master Sergeant Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Private 1st Class Private


Madagascar Ground Forces[16]
 No insignia
Adjudant-major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-major Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat


 Malawi Army
 No insignia
Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer Class 2 Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance Corporal Private
(or equivalent)


 Malian Army[17]
Major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de première classe Soldat
Mauritanian National Army[18]
مساعد أول
Mosa'id awwal 		مساعد
Mosa'id 		رقيب أول
Raqib awwal 		رقيب
Raqib 		عريف
'arif 		جندي
Jundiun


Mauritius Mauritius No army


 Royal Moroccan Army[19]
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-major Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de première classe Soldat de deuxième classe


Mozambican Army
Intendente Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Terceiro-sargento Cabo Primeiro soldado


 Namibian Army[20]
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


 Niger Army[21]
Major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de 1re classe Soldat de 2e classe


 Nigerian Army[22]
 No insignia
Army warrant officer Master warrant officer Warrant officer Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


Rwandan Land Forces[23]
 No insignia
Warrant officer I Warrant officer II Sergeant major Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Private


Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Army of São Tomé and Príncipe
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Furriel Segundo-furriel Cabo de Secção Cabo-adjunto Primeiro-cabo Segundo-cabo Soldado


Senegalese Army
 No insignia
Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de première classe Soldat


Seychelles Infantry Unit[24]
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


 Sierra Leone Army
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


Somali National Army[25]
 No insignia
Chief Warrant Officer
Musharax Sarkaal 		Warrant Officer Class 1
Sadex Xarígle 		Warrant Officer Class 2
Laba Xarígle 		Warrant Officer Class 3
Xarígle 		Sergeant
Sadex Alífle 		Corporal
Laba Alífle 		Lance Corporal
Alífle 		Private
(or equivalent)
Dable


 Somaliland National Army
Chief warrant officer
Musharax sarkaal 		Warrant officer class 1
Sadex xarígle 		Warrant officer class 2
Laba xarígle 		Warrant officer class 3
Xarígle 		Sergeant
Sadex alífle 		Corporal
Laba alífle 		Lance corporal
Alífle 		Private
(or equivalent)
Dable


 South African Army[26]
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


 Sudanese Army[27]
 No insignia
مساعد
Mosa'id 		رقيب أول
Raqib awwal 		رقيب
Raqib 		عريف
'arif 		وكيل عريف
Wakil 'arif 		جندي
Jundiun


Eswatini Army
 No insignia
Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer Class 2 Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance Corporal Private
(or equivalent)


Tanzanian Army
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1
Afisa Mteule Daraja la Kwanza 		Warrant officer class 2
Afisa Mteule Daraja la Pili 		Staff sergeant
Sajinitaji 		Sergeant
Sajenti 		Corporal
Koplo 		Lance corporal
Koplo Usu 		Private
(or equivalent)


Togolese Army[28]
 No insignia
Major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de 1ère classe Soldat de 2e classe


 Tunisian Army[29][30]
وكيل أعلى
Wakil 'aelaa 		وكيل أول
Wakil 'awal 		وكيل
Wakil 		عريف أول
Earif 'awal 		عريف
Earif 		رقيب أول
Raqib 'awal 		رقيب
Raqib 		جندي أول
Jundiun awwal 		جندي متطوع
Jundiun
Major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Sergent-chef Sergent Caporal-chef Caporal Soldat de 1re classe Soldat


 Ugandan Land Forces[31]
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


 Zambian Army
 No insignia
Warrant officer class 1 Warrant officer class 2 Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private
(or equivalent)


 Zimbabwe National Army
 No insignia
Regimental sergeant major Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer Class 2 Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance Corporal Private
(or equivalent)


Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted

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 N° 019-2015/CNT PORTANT STATUT GENERAL DES PERSONNELS DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES" (PDF) (in French). 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "Patente". fa.gov.cv (in Portuguese). Cape Verdean Armed Forces. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Grades appellations distinctions". defense.gouv.cg (in French). Ministry of National Defense (Republic of the Congo). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Ethiopia introduces its first Field Marshal rank amid changes to insignia". ethiopiancitizen.com. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  11. ^ "GRADES / APPELLATIONS / DISTINCTIONS". defense.gouv.ci (in French). Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  12. ^ "KDF Ranks". mod.go.ke. Ministry of Defence - Kenya. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Ranks in the Army". Lesotho Defence Force. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ "رتب الأفراد غير الضباط" [Ranks of Non-officers]. armee.mr/ (in Arabic). Armed Forces of Mauritania. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "Government Notice" (PDF). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "RDF Insignia". mod.gov.rw. Government of the Republic of Rwanda. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Rank structure". spdf.sc. Seychelles People's Defence Forces. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ "Uniform: Rank insignia". army.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  27. ^ "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.
  28. ^ "Journal officiel de la république togolaise" (PDF) (in French). 12 February 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  29. ^ "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.
  30. ^ "أمر عدد 380 لسنة 1972 مؤرخ في 6 ديسمبر 1972 يتعلق بضبط النظام الأساسي الخاص بالعسكريين". legislation-securite.tn (in Arabic). Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act" (PDF). The Uganda Gazette. Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation. CXII (46): 1851–1854. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
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