Mozambique: Customs officer arrested for corruption in Beira
In file Club of Mozambique.
In the first two weeks of this year’s registration for military service, 13,302 young Mozambican registered, according to data announced by the Defence Ministry on Monday.
The Ministry’s National Director of Human Resources, Edgar Cossa, said that 8,986 men and 4,316 women had registered.
Registration began on 4 January and will continue until the end of February. Under Mozambican legislation all citizens must register for military service in the year of their 18th birthday. The registration covers not only 18 year olds but anyone who failed to register in previous years, for whatever reason, as long as they are under the age of 35.
According to the projections made by the National Statistics Institute (INE) from the population census of 2007, more than 549,000 Mozambicans celebrate their 18th birthday this year.
Yet the Ministry’s target for registration is only 170,000 (the same as last year) Thus the Ministry is either unaware of the true size of the population, or fully expects over two thirds of 18 year olds not to register. If those who did not register in previous years are also included, then the number who ought to register rises to several million.
Those who registered in the first fortnight are just 7.82 per cent of the target figure. Nonetheless Cossa considered this “very positive”, because by the same time last year, only about 6.7 per cent had registered.
Cossa urged young Mozambicans to make their way to the military registration posts as soon as possible rather than leaving everything to the last minute.
He pointed out that registration is not the same thing as recruitment. From the list of those who register, the armed forces (FADM) will decide who it wishes to recruit. Given the logistical and financial constraints only a few thousand conscripts can be recruited each year.
“Registration seeks to obtain the human resources necessary for the defence of the motherland, and of the state”, said Cossa. “It is our conviction that this increasingly strengthens the patriotic awareness of citizens”.
He pointed out that, under the Mozambican constitution, “every citizen has the duty to contribute to the defence of the country”. The defence of sovereignty, national independence and territorial integrity “are sacred duties and an honour for all Mozambican citizens subject to military obligations”.
The registration is being held at over 800 fixed posts and 200 mobile brigades.
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