Information regarding the conscription of political prisoners into the army is currently unavailable to the IRBDC. However, according to a report by the Department of State, forcible conscription of young males into the army by both the government and the rebel forces exists (111). Those who tried to evade conscription in 1988 were allegedly shot. In January 1987, the then chairman of the Eritrean Liberation Front-Popular Liberation Forces (ELF-PLF), Osman Saleh Sabbe claimed that about 70,000 young Eritreans had fled their country to evade conscription in the Ethiopian army (Degenhardt (101).
Bibliography

U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1989, Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989, pp. 111 & 116.

For more information regarding conscription, please find the attached excerpts from the following documents:
-Response to Information Request No. 4359.
-U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989, pp. 109.