Ethiopia: Information on evasion of military conscription, update to ETH7668 of February 1991
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ETH18261.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ethiopia: Information on evasion of military conscription, update to ETH7668 of February 1991, 1 September 1994, ETH18261.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab458.html [accessed 2 June 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. |
A representative of the Embassy of Ethiopia in Ottawa, stated that there is no military conscription in Ethiopia today (IRBDC 16 Apr. 1992).
A report on Ethiopia published in The Courier, states that when the government of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Forces (EPRDF) came to power in 1991, it disbanded the regular army (May/June 1994, 30) and replaced it with the Tigrean-dominated militia (ibid., 19). The Tigrean People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was one of the forces that opposed the regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam, but it merged with other opposing forces to form the EPRDF which currently runs the country (ibid.). According to Country Reports for Human Rights Practices for 1993 (1994), "the EPRDF military wing serves as both the national armed forces and an internal security force during the transitional period" (1994, 91).
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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.
References
The Courier [Brussels]. May/June 1994. No. 145. "Reaping the Peace Dividend: Demobbed Soldiers Return to Civilian Life."
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
Immigration and Refugee Board, Documentation Centre (IRBDC), Ottawa. 16 April 1992. Response to Information Request ETH10643.
Attachment
The Courier [Brussels]. May/June 1994. No. 145. "Reaping the Peace Dividend: Demobbed Soldiers Return to Civilian Life, p. 30."
