The President of the Republic of Mozambique promulgated a law increasing compulsory military service to five years

Mozambique’s president 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 Frelimo’s majority, the presidency announced this Friday.

A statement from the President of the Republic said that the head of state “promulgated and ordered the publication” of the revised law on military service, as well as the statute, security and pensions of deputies.

“The laws mentioned above were recently approved by the Assembly of the Republic and submitted to the President of the Republic for promulgation, while the head of state checked whether they contradict the Basic Law,” the statement said.

The proposal to revise the Military Service Law was submitted to the National Assembly by the government, which stated the need to retain military personnel in the Armed Forces, and received 160 votes at the Liberation Front plenary meeting on December 14. The Mozambique Bench (Frelimo, in power) and 43 votes against the opposition, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) and the Mozambican Democratic Movement (MDM).

In a statement after the specialty vote and finals, the Frelimo panel supported the position in favor of this change, saying that “it will create the conditions to make the military institution more reliable” and “guarantee the retention and professionalization of the military” and “create greater dynamism in Armed Forces”.

The amendment to the Law on Military Service provides for an increase from two to five years in the minimum period of service in the combined arms forces and from two to six years in the special forces.

Introduces direct conscription into the Armed Defense Forces of Mozambique (FADM) with the authorization of the Minister of National Defence, criminalizes the absence of conscripts and military personnel and provides for the payment of fines to directors of public and private institutions who do not require the submission of a declaration of regulation.

Renamo also asked, with the support of the MDM, to repeal two articles increasing the period of compulsory military service, but Frelimo rejected this proposal.

In a statement announcing the negative vote, Renamo’s parliamentary panel said the expansion “interrupts” the studies and work of young Mozambicans and “delays normal integration” into society, being “exaggerated and unacceptable from a human point of view.”

The MDM panel noted that selection for military service was made on the basis of “children from the least advantaged sections of the population,” rejecting the expansion: “This boy, when he returns, has no support, no help, no integration.”

The revised law maintains the minimum age of 18 and maximum age of 35 for military service in Mozambique.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said on December 6 that increasing the minimum length of military service from two to five years is aimed at ensuring the retention of experienced personnel.

“This review is focused on retention and availability of experienced staff. I have had cases where my generals were very desperate after forming special forces, with knowledge that others did not have, but because they were already two years old, they had to leave” before carrying out missions,” said Filipe Nyusi.

According to the head of state, the change is aimed at avoiding “expenses” that are “cost-related.” “I have corrected this law,” said Filipe Nyusi.

Cabo Delgado province has faced an armed insurgency for six years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State, leading to a military response from July 2021 backed by Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). liberation of areas near gas projects.

The conflict has already displaced one million people, according to UN agencies, and some 4,000 have died, according to the ACLED Conflict Recording Project.