On 20 December 2004, the military attaché from the Embassy of the Republic of Guinea in Washington provided the following information in a telephone interview.

Guinea does not have compulsory military service. Recruitment is voluntary and not compulsory. The minimum recruitment age is 18. Troops for combat are recruited at a young age, because the army must train its soldiers before putting them into service. However, people such as doctors can be recruited for special forces after the age of 25, because "specialists" must receive their training prior to joining the army. The military attaché added that the Ministry of Defence establishes the basic recruitment rules and that the offices of each branch of the army (land, sea, air) handle their own recruitment.

According to the Global Report 2004, published by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, [Coalition English version] "[w]hile conscription is provided for in law there is no military service and conscription is enforced only in times of need" (17 Nov. 2004). The Research Directorate could not find a definition explaining the meaning of "in times of need" within the time constraints of this Response.

The Global Report 2004 indicates that Guinea has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (Coalition 17 Nov. 2004; see also UNICEF n.d.). According to Article 1 of the Protocol, [UN English version] "States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that members of their armed forces who have not attained the age of 18 years do not take a direct part in hostilities" and, according to Article 2, [UN English version] "States Parties shall ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 18 years are not compulsorily recruited into their armed forces" (UNICEF 25 May 2000).

For more information on military service in Guinea, including the length of service, possibilities of conscientious objection, penalties for desertion, and the existence of forced recruitment, see GIN36823.E from 3 April 2001.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. 17 November 2004. Child Soldiers Global Report 2004. http://www.child-soldiers.org/document_get.php?id=777 [Accessed 16 Dec. 2004]

Embassy of the Republic of Guinea, Washington. 20 December 2004. Telephone interview with military attaché.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). n.d. List of signatories to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. http://www.unicef.org/crc/opcac-tableweb.htm [Accessed 15 Dec. 2004]

_____. 25 May 2000. Protocole facultatif se rapportant à la Convention relative aux droits de l'enfant, concernant l'implication d'enfants dans les conflits armés. http://www.unicef.org/french/crc/op_cac_fr.pdf [Accessed 20 Dec 2004]

Internet sites, including: Boubah.com, CIA World Factbook, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2003, gouvernement de la République de Guinée, Human Rights Internet, Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations.