Following the completion of Mozambique's military registration process, which is taking place from January 2 to February 28, citizens called up for the first time this year will serve five or six years, depending on whether they are in general or specialized forces, instead of two, Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Defense Jorge Leonel said at a press conference.
"From this moment forward, and with the introduction of the new law, those who are enlisted will no longer serve only for the two-year period stipulated in the previous law. Instead, the new law extends the service duration to five or six years, depending on whether they are in general or specialized forces," he stated.
The move aims to professionalize the armed forces, providing recruits with valuable skills and trades for civilian life after service, thereby improving retention rates and reducing state costs associated with frequent recruit training, according to Leonel.
"They now have a significant opportunity to acquire a trade, something that will allow them to develop an autonomous activity after completing their military service. Another of our goals is to retain young people in the Mozambique Defense Armed Forces. Previously, the two-year period involved significant costs for the state," he explained.
The extended timeframe allows for more comprehensive training, and improved conditions within the military have already led to a significant decrease in requests to leave the service, the official added.
"All Mozambican citizens of both sexes between 18 and 35 years old are participating, and the aim is to register some 221,141 young people, of whom 147,114 are men and 74,027 women," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.