Eritrea: National Service

(asked on 7th December 2015) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on indefinite national service continuing to be practised in Eritrea.


Answered by
James Duddridge Portrait
James Duddridge
This question was answered on 14th December 2015

The British Government continues to have concerns about indefinite national service in Eritrea. We welcomed the Government of Eritrea’s pledge earlier this year to limit national service to 18 months for all new recruits starting from March 2015. However, we have been clear to the government in Asmara that it must now follow through on this commitment and that the change must be publicised widely in Eritrea itself. We have also been clear that the 18 month limit should apply to all conscripts not just those who have been enlisted recently.

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