The session included the screening of a documentary film, titled “Eat My Call Up”, which focuses on some of young white South African men who refused to serve in the military during the period of Apartheid in the South African Defense Force (SADF).  The film tells how from 1967 until 1993 all South African white males were conscripted in to SADF. The penalty for refusing the call-up was jail sentence of up to six years without parole. In response, an anti-apartheid organization, known as the “End Conscription Campaign” was launched in 1983. The film looked up at the personal experience – including torture and psychological trauma - of four different men who refused to serve.

Following the screening of “Eat My Call Up”, discussions around other cases where people were forced to serve in the military were examined, including the Eritrean case. The Eritrean case study was presented by Minassie Teklay representing the EMDHR.

In his presentation, Minassie explained that in Eritrea military conscription is compulsory by law.  Minassie said, “The law forcing military conscription in Eritrea is Proclamation 11/91 which was enacted in November 1991 by the Provisional Government of Eritrea, shortly after the liberation of Eritrea from Ethiopian occupation.” He also informed the audience that the proclamation obliged Eritrean youth between the ages of 18 and 40 to serve in the military, which includes six months military training and one year military service. “However”, said Minassie, “later in May 1995, Proclamation No. 11/91 was revised and replaced by Proclamation 82/1995 to include an age group above 40 up until 50, and in so far, more or less to 700000 Eritreans passed through this process and many has been with the army for more than 10 years.”

Contrary to what has been claimed via Eritrean official media outlets, the military service has been a major cause for degrading levels of “innovativeness, creativity and adventurous nature of the youth”, and not “to raise healthy and productive citizens”. What one normally learns in the Eritrean military system is how to become “fearful and obedient” to immediate military commanders.

In Eritrea, “conscientious objection” is not recognized by law, said Minassie. And he expounded in detail how members of Jehovah Witness, in addition to the striping of their citizenship rights, they suffered torture and ill-treatments in the hands of military commanders. Minassie explained that he had seen this while he was being conscripted in the military.

Within the Eritrean military system lawlessness, rape, nepotism and opportunism are widespread, said Minassie. They are normally committed by military commanders without “impunity”. The sad part of the story is that, Minnassie added, the nation has “increasingly become militarized”, civilian institutions has gradually been replaced by military administration. The “ma

ssive youth outflow” is the immediate result, and a clear sing of an utter defiance against the government military service proclamation in particular and the increasing militarization of the nation in general.

Unwilling to reconsider its ill-practiced military conscription, the government of Eritrea sadly resorted to the least effective method of securing compliance – intimidation against and violent coercion upon Eritrea’s young generation.

The government opt

ed to employ routine propaganda campaigns against young draft evaders with an effort of labeling them as “traitors who failed to fulfill their national obligations”.

Minassie added, the government introduced or otherwise endorsed “arbitrary torture” and “prolonged imprisonments without trial”, “a shoot-to-death” on site policy against those who are found to flee the country; and it even goes to the extent of “arresting parents of the missing children” – an utterly irresponsible and flawed measure which seriously continue to undermine Eritrea’s long-stayed rich culture of treating the elders with respect and dignity.

On the way forward, Minassie explained about the efforts which have been carried out by the EMDHR, other Eritrean civil society organizations, and international peace and human rights organizations aiming at encouraging Eritrean youth to continue their “disobedience and defiance” against the ill-practiced military service in an effort to undermine the increasing militarization of the society. He finally called up on the Ceasefire Campaign and other interested groups to provide their moral and technical support.

After Minassies presentation, discussions continued on Eritrea’s and Horn of Africa issues of militarization among the participants.

In this discussion session, many individuals and organizations participated including representatives of Austrian Development Agency, Earth Life Africa, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), and various South African student and community-based organizations.

Ceasefire Campaign is a non-profit organization based in South Africa, and is strives to contribute to disarmament and peace in South and Southern Africa, and where possible, more broadly.

Reporter Voice of Meselna-Delina

4 March 2008