The 4th Commando Battalion (, ) was a one of four airborne forces battalion unit of the

Belgian Land Component The Land Component (, ), historically and commonly still referred to as the Belgian Army (, ), is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component i ...

and part of the Para-Commando Brigade, which specialized in airborne operations, combat patrol, commando style raids, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, special operations, and special reconnaissance. It is based in the Belgian colonies of Congo and Rwanda-Urundi between 1959 until its disbandment in 1962, following the independence of Belgium's last African colony. In the 1970s, the unit was revived as 4th (Reserve) Commando Battalion before it was finally disbanded in 1979.

Background

In 1959, the 2nd Commando Battalion had been deployed to the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

to deal try to maintain order in the months leading up to independence. However, it soon became clear that these forces would not be sufficient. Realising this, the 4th Commando Battalion was formed, from 2nd Commando Battalion officers and hastily trained conscripts. 4th Commando Battalion was created by Royal Decree (N.7397) by King

Baudoin Baudoin is a surname related to Baldwin. Notable people with the name include: * Edmond Baudoin (born 1942), French artist, illustrator, and writer of sequential art and graphic novels * Gervais Baudoin (1686–1752), Canadian surgeon * Giuseppe ...

on 23 October 1959. The standard was presented to the unit on 1 April 1960.

Operations in Congo and Rwanda-Urundi

4th Commando Battalion was established in the Congolese town of Kitona in

Bas-Congo Kongo Central (), formerly Bas-Congo, is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Matadi. History At the time of independence, the area now encompassing Kongo Central was part of the greater province of ...

. In April 1960, it was transferred to Rwanda-Urundi. In Rwanda-Urundi, the 4th Commando Battalion was instrumental in keeping peace between the

Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic group native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda where they form one of the principal ethnic groups alongside the Tutsi and the Great L ...

and

Tutsi The Tutsi ( ), also called Watusi, Watutsi or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu languages, Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi ( ...

populations. Antipathy between these two groups had been growing since 1957, though would finally culminate in the

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...

of 1994. From their base in Rwanda-Burundi, the battalion was also mobilized for operations in nearby towns in the Congo. In July 1960, the unit was sent to

Goma Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the North Kivu, North Kivu Province; it is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdo ...

to seize the airfield and one company was parachuted into

Bunia Bunia is the capital Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, city of Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It was part of the Orientale Province until that province's dissolution. It lies at an elevation of on a ...

to free hostages. Three Belgians were killed in this operation. In January 1961, a company of the battalion repelled an attack by the Congolese National Army on the town of

, losing one soldier. On the independence of

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

and

Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...

, there was no longer possible to maintain an elite unit in Africa, and 4th Commando Battalion was though surplus to requirements. It was disbanded on 1 October 1962.

4th (Reserve) Commando Battalion

In the early 1970s, the 4th Commando Battalion was reactivated, comprising trained, reserve soldiers previously incorporated into other Para-Commando units. The Headquarters of the Special Operations Regiment, based in

Marche-en-Famenne Marche-en-Famenne (; ; literally "Marche in Famenne") is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. The municipality consists of the following districts: Aye, Hargimont, Humain, Marche-en-Famenne, ...

, created in January 2011, maintains the traditions and standard of the 4th Commando Battalion, which were previously held by the Commando Training Centre.

References

External links

* * {{Belgian Paracommando Units Airborne units and formations of Belgium Military units and formations of the Cold War Battalions of Belgium Military units and formations established in 1959 Military units and formations disestablished in 1962 Military units and formations disestablished in 1979 1959 establishments in Belgium 1962 disestablishments in Belgium 1979 disestablishments in Belgium