Sudan parliament approves military reserve law

July 3, 2013, (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese parliament has unanimously adopted the 2013 army reserve law which allows the defense minister to summon all citizens including government and private sector employees, university graduates, army and regular forces retirees, between ages of 18-60 to join the reserves service.

According to the law, those who refuse to join the reserve forces without a valid excuse will be fined and jailed for up to six months while conscripts who commit a crime during their service period will be imprisoned for three years.

The law bans all reservists, with the exception of pilots and naval reservists, from leaving Sudan during their call for service unless they obtain prior permission and stipulated that all reservists must notify reserves administration within a month after the end of their service of their home and work address.

The law also provides for the formation of a Council for Reserves service including ministers of defense, finance, higher education and scientific research, and human resources development and labor beside the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, chief of police, director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), and general manager of the Security and National Intelligence, and the deputy Chief of Staff for ground forces.

The law allows the defense minister or an authorized representative from the reserves administration to exempt any individual from the service and requires reservists undergo military training before they engage in military operations.

The lawmakers insisted that the age limit for the reserves service must be 60 years instead of 50 years as suggested by some.

The Popular Congress Party (PCP) MP Ismail Hussein, called for keeping the age limit for the army and regular forces retirees open while demanding that age limit for other individuals must be kept at 50 years due to potential health problems suffered by older people such as diabetes, high blood pressure and knee pain.

The defense minister insisted on the 60 years age limit and saying it gives a chance to benefit from the cumulative experience of the senior army officer,s pointing that call for service will be made only when necessary and for a maximum of two months.

The parliament speaker, Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Tahir, for his part considered the laws which have been approved recently by the national assembly including the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) law, the reserve service law, the national service law, and the Popular Defense Forces (PDF) a real support for the army, describing it as a “simple gift” for SAF.

Sudanese officials have privately expressed concern over low level of recruitment of conscripts in the armed forces despite intense mobilization campaigns.

This issue was highlighted particularly in the wake of rebel one-month occupation of areas in South Kordofan state.

In a related issue the Sudanese opposition threatened to seek review by the constitutional court of controversial amendments to the 2007 Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) law which will allow for prosecution of civilians in military courts.

The National Consensus Forces (NCF) opposition coalition accused the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of seeking to use the law against dissidents.

(ST)