Mozambique expects to register more than 220,000 young people for compulsory military service in 2024

The Mozambican government hopes to recruit more than 220,000 young people for compulsory military service in 2024, an official source said today, on the day it passed legislation increasing the minimum period of military service to five years.

Of the more than 221,000 youth expected to enroll, 147,114 are men and 74,027 are women, said Jorge Leonel, national director of human resources for the Defense Ministry, during a press conference in Nampula, northern Mozambique.

“In recent days we have seen the desire of young people to join the Mozambican Defense Forces (…). This indicates a high patriotic feeling on the part of young people,” said the person in charge, referring to information about forced recruitment.

The census of military personnel should take place from January 2 to February 28, 2024, the human resources director said, noting that conditions have been created for this process to go smoothly.

“It is to combat rainy weather conditions that 1,499 fixed posts were created. We also have 171 mobile posts throughout the country,” said Jorge Leonel.

The President of Mozambique has unveiled a bill increasing the minimum period of compulsory military service from two to five years, approved in parliament only with a positive vote by the majority of the Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo, which is in power), the Presidency announced today.

The military census will be carried out throughout the country, as well as at diplomatic and consular missions for young Mozambicans living abroad, and the process will cover all people under the age of 35.

The exercise takes place at the beginning of each year and does not automatically imply inclusion in the SMO, since this act is subject to a suitability test and numbers are determined annually for entry into the Armed Defense Forces of Mozambique (FADM).