Conscription in Eritrea requires every able bodied man and woman to serve, ostensibly, for 18 months. In this time, they receive six months of military training and the rest of their time is spent working on national reconstruction projects. This program allegedly aims to compensate for Eritrea's lack of capital and to reduce dependence on foreign aid.[1] This is outlined in both the Constitution of Eritrea, as well as Proclamation 82 issued by the National Assembly in October 1995.[2] However, the period of enrollment may be extended during times of national crisis, and in practice, the typical period of national service is considerably longer than the minimum. Since the 1990s, conscription has been effectively open-ended; this draft policy has been likened to "slavery" and has earned international condemnation.[3][4][5]
- ^ Connell, Dan (September 1997). "Eritrea". Archived from the original on 18 September 2006. Retrieved 19 September 2006.
- ^ "Eritrea". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2006.
- ^ "Issue 23: Open-Ended Conscription in Eritrea's National Military Service: Here is How to Improve the Policy". horninstitute.org. September 20, 2019. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ ""They Are Making Us into Slaves, Not Educating Us": How Indefinite Conscription Restricts Young People's Rights, Access to Education in Eritrea". Human Rights Watch. August 8, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ "Open-ended Conscription in Eritrea's National Military Service: Here is How to Improve the Policy". Africa Portal. 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2022-10-20.