Angola: Military service in Angola; enforcement of conscription; civilian or alternative service available; conditions or exemptions for those over thirty; situation since peace accord of March 2002
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 9 July 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | AGO39461.E |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Angola: Military service in Angola; enforcement of conscription; civilian or alternative service available; conditions or exemptions for those over thirty; situation since peace accord of March 2002, 9 July 2002, AGO39461.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be0234.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to the consular officer of the Angolan embassy in Ottawa, conscription ended immediately upon the signing of the peace accord in March 2002 (8 July 2002a). The consular officer stated that, prior to this, military service was compulsory under article 152, provisions 1) and 2) of the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Angola (ibid.). He further stated that exemptions were evaluated by competent authorities under special provisions of the military service law (ibid.). Furthermore, conscription normally requires two regular shifts every year and is directed at all young male citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 (ibid.). There is no formal system of alternative service for conscientious objectors, but special cases can be reviewed by the authorities (8 July 2002b). The consular officer stated that, at the present time, conscription is not in force since the war had ended (ibid.).
However, a 23 November 2001 ReliefWeb article reported that "the conscription laws in Angola are never applied consistently."
Furthermore, in May 2001, War Resisters International highlighted the plight of conscientious objectors in Angola, who, according to the author, have no access to alternative service and are often forcibly recruited by either government or rebel UNITA forces (15 May 2001).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Embassy of Angola, Ottawa. 8 July 2002a. Correspondence with the consular officer.
_____. 8 July 2002b. Telephone interview with the consular officer.
ReliefWeb. 23 November 2001. "Angola: Fear over Military Call-up."
War Resisters International. 15 May 2001. Andreas Speck. "International Conscientious Objectors' Day."
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
NEXIS
Internet sites including:
All Africa News
Angola Peace Action Network (APAN)
Amnesty International
Integrated regional Information Network (IRIN)
Media Institute of Southern Africa
