Godoria operation

Godoria is a Military operation engaged by the Force French stationed with Djibouti in 1991.

Prépositionnés forces and helps

May 23rd with the June 13rd 1991 the French Forces stationed with Djibouti (FFDJ) were committed in the operations “Totem” and “Godoria” in Ethiopia and République of Djibouti. These two completely different operations in their kind have both put forward missions taking on as well a military aspect as a humane aspect. They have watch thus the need and the operational capacities of the interarmées forces prépositionnées in Djibouti.

May 1991, with Addis Ababa very accelerates: colonel Menghistu leaves Ethiopia. The rebellion, strong of this departure, arrives at the doors of the capital… Assab, the port, is about to fall!

The May 23rd at 5 p.m., two Mig-27 of the Ethiopian Armed forces are announced in distress and are diverted on the airport of Djibouti where they ask asylum. From May 25th to 27th, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti and two planes of the TAM (military Air transport) in reinforcement evacuate by a Airlift baptizes “Totem” the French nationals of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. On the whole, they are 355 people and families of 20 different nationalities which are evacuated under difficult and precarious conditions.

May 26th it is per tens that the Ethiopian planes join the airport of Ambouli and per thousands that soldiers out of weapons arrive at the borders.

Overall help

The operation “Godoria” begins in this context where the military action vis-a-vis troops out of weapons must join has an humanitarian action with regard to: 40000 soldiers and civilians suffering from tiredness, hunger and thirst. It is the principal characteristic of what was Godoria or porpoises and legionaries, aviators and sailors had to face situations sometimes difficult and perilous, often painful, and or the capacity of adaptation of all was exemplary.

Strong of their experiment and their participation in the evacuation of the nationals of Mogadiscio last January, the FFDJ could go to the help of French of Ethiopia within a particularly short time, fulfilling a mission carefully for a long time studied and which was entrusted to them. Known context, close connections with the Embassy of France with Addis Ababa, proximity of place, means in place, such are the major assets which made it possible the FFDJ to very quickly carry out this operation and in an optimal way.

ETOM `88, reinforced for the occasion by a C-160 Transall of the Meeting and by a C-130 Hercules of Orleans, carried out four rotations on Addis Ababa and one on Dire Dawa for this evacuation. A team prépositionnée on the airport of the capital had the role of establishing a direct contact with the embassy, of accommodating the nationals, of organizing their departure and of ensuring their safety. Arrived at Djibouti, these families were accommodated by the various formations of the FFDJ (Détachement Air 188, 10 {{E}} battalion of command and support), 5 {{E}} regiment interarmes of overseas, and 13 {{E}} half-brigade of Foreign legion, and were lodged in the units before their departure for the France.

In same time “Godoria” starts when with Doumeira, in the extreme north of the Republic of Djibouti, penetrate of the thousands of refugees out of weapons accompanied by their family. At the same time of many civil aircraft and Ethiopian soldiers ask to be posed in Djibouti while some boats charged with refugees arrive at the accesses of the Republic of Djibouti.

As of the 27 morning, the operations started of all share, after the French authorities gave their agreement so that the FFDJ come to assistance of the Republic of Djibouti. There still, the speed of action and the knowledge of the ground make it possible the 5th RIAOM to carry of the assistance to the Djibouti national army to north to stop, initially, the progression of these strongly armed refugees whose intentions were initially badly known…

The 13th DBLE goes of its dimension on the Western border of the RDD (Republic of Djibouti) to Galafi where flow, a little later, is only more important.

This terrestrial action is doubled of an operation at sea and with the port where the French Marine takes into account the arrival of the buildings having on their board some: 5000 refugees and of the many weapons.

Most delicate for all remainder, in the first phase, to control and disarm these troops still made up and to prevent with the refugees from penetrating too ahead in the Republic of Djibouti.

The good relationships maintained with the Djibouti national army and the contacts tied with the refugees, doubled of a suitable defensive tactical posture allow all very quickly fulfilling this mission. The Detachment Air, for its part, as well as the unit Navy and the DETALAT (Detachment ALAT) take part in an important way as of on May 27th in supports logistic brought to the FFDJ and the routing of the vivres and means necessary to the survival of the refugees. They carry out simultaneously very many medical evacuations. The operational missions do not miss on the air base of Ambouli: delicate disarmament of the aircraft (rocket S of the Semi-24 in particular), mission of recognition photo on the borders and flights of dissuasion from the hot areas where the confrontations seem possible.

Second phase

From the 28, the operation enters its second phase on the ground: regulation of three flows of refugees (northern, western and maritime) in order to make them forward until the accesses of Ali Sabieh. The routing of the food products necessary to the refugees then starts to beat full sound; air rotations (C-160 Transall - Puma) and maritime are ceaseless.

In north, the 5th RIAOM and and deal with Moulhoule two convoys of 100 vehicles and of: 4500 refugees to escort them, ensure their safety on an axis particularly difficult and sown obstacles (Obock - Tadjourah - road of the unit) and to coordinate their supply.

The 13th DBLE in the West carries out the same mission with its some: 30000 refugees by many rotations between Dikhil and large Bara.

Units of reinforcement come from Daguet arrived meanwhile at Djibouti:

the 2 {{E}} RIMA which will settle in Djibouti city
the 17 {{E}} RGP which will take part on the two axes in the depollution of the zones and the destruction of the dangerous ammunition.

As of on May 30th, the two convoys of north are given under the responsibility of and in connection with the Office of the High Commission of the United Nations for the refugees. In Dikhil, the work of regulation continues.

At the end of the first week of June, depollution, raking of the zones, regrouping of the heavy materials, routing of the weapons on Djibouti are the batch of the FFDJ. With the port, the boats continue to unload refugees…

From May 23rd to June 13rd, 1991: 13000 weapons and 200 tons of ammunition were controlled by the Gendarmerie and the Republic of Djibouti and for a good part destroyed by the legionaries, porpoises and sappers of the terrestrial forces.

Meanwhile, on June 5th, a advanced surgical antenna is conveyed for Addis Ababa by C-160 to come to assistance of the Ethiopian hospitals heavily put at contribution following the explosion of deposits of hydrocarbons. 13 doctors and hospital are sent by the FFDJ and the BSS (Building of support health) Rance , arrived in reinforcement a few days before.

Conclusions

June 11th, the Secretary of State to Defense, Mr Melik, then comes to visit the FFDJ and to note the carried out work which they are the operational missions, logistic or humane. He testifies with all the personnel his admiration in front of the width of the achieved spot, perfectly conscious that the climatic conditions are difficult in this territory where the temperature frequently borders the 45 or 50°C, and which more than ten liters of drink are necessary each day.

That it is at sea on the boats anchored off Djibouti, in the hospitals of the districts or on the ground in north and the west, the department of health achieved a considerable spot, looking after, auscultating, bandaging, operating several thousands of civilians and soldiers.

Regiment of support of the forces, the 10th BCS will have had during this operation a discrete but paramount mission. In base of Djibouti, its personnel conditioned, 15 days during, it quasi totality of the vivres conveyed for the ground and took delivery of the totality of the armament recovered. All these means will have been put at contribution either to its profit or to the profit of the other formations. The support brings to and and to the refugees for the water supply of the northern convoy is in this respect significant.

As for the Prévôté, it will have been present in all the actions of the FFDJ: reception of the nationals coming from Addis Ababa, escorts convoys of refugees, establishment of the statements of taking into account of the material recovered by the Djibouti authorities, controls of the weapons and ammunition.

These two carried out operations drum beating during three weeks thus used totality some: 3800 soldiers of the FFDJ, land, marine, aviators and gendarmes. They could be realized under the best possible conditions, in spite of important constraints of environment, by the adequacy of the prépositionnes means to Djibouti, their knowledge of the ground, their availability and their capacity of adaptation.

June 13rd the operation “Godoria” is completed; success is manifest! The Djibouti authorities open some officially to thank France and the FFDJ…

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