MAPUTO, Mozambique
Mozambique's parliament has approved a draft law increasing compulsory military service from two to five years for general service and up to six for special forces.
It is intended to help the
army retain more soldiers and be more professional.
Neighbouring countries have
sent troops to help Mozambique tackle an Islamist insurgency in the north.
The authorities hope longer
military service would remove the need for foreign support against the
jihadists.
The new law may still face
amendments and must be assented to by the president to become law.
Mozambicans have to register
with the armed forces when they reach 18.
However, not everyone ends up
joining, as people can seek exemption on health or other grounds.
The new law makes the armed
forces responsible for sending conscription summonses upon authorisation by the
defence minister.
It imposes criminal liability
for people who disobey summonses and fines for companies that prevent workers
from joining.
The extension of military
service was passed by lawmakers from the ruling Front for the Liberation of
Mozambique (Frelimo), which has a parliamentary majority, supported by a
smaller opposition party, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM).
The main opposition party, the
ex-rebel Renamo movement which has been boycotting parliamentary sessions to
protest against the outcome of recent municipal elections, did not vote.
Defence Minister Cristóvão
Chume on Thursday said the military needed to be modern and more professional
to be able to face challenges against national security and sovereignty.
"Our country is currently
facing threats of a hybrid and diffuse nature, with connections to
transnational organised crime. To combat them, they require greater
professionalisation," Mr Chume told parliament.
"We will have better
soldiers. Currently, they train for a year, are deployed to the field of
counter-terrorism operations and only stay there for six months, then leave.
"With this law, we will
allow more and place more experienced people to fight terrorism," he said.
On Wednesday, President Filipe
Nyusi told a defence forces forum that the country's military must be prepared
to work without foreign support.
Troops from Rwanda and the
southern African bloc Sadc have been conducting joint operations to fight the
insurgency by groups linked to Islamic State since 2021.
However, the country still
experiences sporadic attacks.
Mozambique also faces other
national security threats include piracy, sea pollution, illegal fishing and
the trafficking of drugs and people.
The six-year insurgency has
claimed the lives of at least 4,000 people and displaced nearly one million
others from the northern Cabo Delgado province.
It has stalled operations to
develop and tap the country's vast natural gas deposits, which were discovered
in Cabo Delgado in 2010.
There have been mixed
reactions to the bill - some have noted that it will allow the government and
the conscripts time to plan better, as many of the conscripts are demobilised
at the end of the two years and go home without anything to do.
Some however have expressed
concern that the extended military service might delay young adults entering
the job market.
Some 110,000 personnel
currently work for the Mozambican armed forces. It is not clear to what extent
the longer military service will increase their numbers.
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