| 5th Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1981–present[1] |
| Country |  Zimbabwe |
| Branch | &sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Flag_of_the_Zimbabwe_National_Army.svg){kind=small} Zimbabwe National Army |
| Type | Infantry brigade[1] |
| Role | Counter-insurgency[2] |
| Size | Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Gweru, Zimbabwe[1] |
| Nickname(s) | Gukurahundi[3] |
| Engagements | Gukurahundi campaign Mozambican Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Perrance Shiri[2] |
The 5th Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA). The 5th Brigade was created in 1981 from three former battalions of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA).[1] It later incorporated over 3,000 ex-ZANLA guerrillas from various units.[1] The brigade was based in Gweru and participated in the Mozambican Civil War[2] as well as a genocide known as the Gukurahundi which targeted Ndebele civilians and Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) guerrillas.[4]
The 5th Brigade was reactivated in 2006 following a prolonged period of inactivity.[5]
- ^ a b c d e Nelson, Harold D, ed. (1983). Zimbabwe, a Country Study. Area Handbook Series (Second ed.). Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, American University. pp. 263–272. OCLC 227599708.
- ^ a b c Bermudez, Joseph (1998). North Korean Special Forces. Philadelphia: United States Naval Institute. p. 144. ISBN 978-1557500663.
- ^ Dzinesa, Gwinyayi (2017). Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration in Southern Africa: Swords into Ploughshares?. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan. pp. 45–48. ISBN 978-3319605487.
- ^ Moore, Alexandra (1997). Vulnerability and Security in Human Rights Literature and Visual Culture. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge Books. pp. 70–77. ISBN 978-1138860278.
- ^ http://www.zimbabwedefence.com/News_51_Gets_Comm.html Archived 2008-04-08 at the Wayback Machine, accessed March 2009