A study on the security implications of military conscription: the case of Mozambique

Abstract

This study considers the security benefits and costs associated with military conscription in Mozambique. Mozambique has been conscripting young people into the army since Portuguese occupation of the territory several centuries ago. It employs realism and blow back theories. The study shows that while conscription boosted the fighting power of the Portuguese colonial government and that of the FRELIMO liberation movement, it has worsened Mozambican security after the country’s independence. It also shows that those that were conscripted to fight for Portugal were later abandoned by the new system, driving them into an insurgency that exposed the country to insecurity and devastated the economy. The study further shows that over the years, many new conscripts have equally been abandoned to their own devices, exposing the country to criminality of high magnitude. But the study further shows that models of conscriptions exist from which Mozambique could learn from in order to enjoy the security benefits of conscription.