Having consulted several sources, it seems clear that in fact there are no set rules for following the conscription laws of Somalia. During 1986 and 1987, Amnesty International reports that substantial numbers of Ethiopian refugees were forcibly conscripted into the military. The Somali government has been fighting opposition groups, mainly the SNM and the DFSS, on different fronts for several years. [
ENDNOTES:
Colin Legum, ed., Africa Contemporary Record, (New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1987), p.B410.] The DOS report for 1986 states that press gangs are often used to provide recruits for the military [Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1986, (Washington: U.S. Department of State, 1986), p.269.] which is the ultimate source of the President's political power. [ibid. p.267.] It is important to note that "the Somali Armed Forces were virtually wiped out in the Ogaden conflict, and their personnel and equipment were totally shattered...it may take years, even decades to rebuild the armed forces to their pre-war levels". [ George T. Kurian, Encyclopedia of the Third World, Third Edition, vol.III, (New York: Facts On File, Inc. 1987), p.1805.]

Mr. Mohammed Abdulrashid Sharmarke, manager of COSTI (Italian Scolastic and Technical Organizational Centre) at the Wallace Emerson Centre in Toronto, states that although the length of military service in Somalia is supposed to be 2 years, in reality the authorities can and do keep people as long as the demand is there. In support of this, Amnesty International reports that "military conscription does not appear to have been applied systematically". [ Conscientious Objection to Military Service, (London: Amnesty International Publications, 1988), p.17.] Mr. Sharmarke states that only about 10% of the military, primarily in the higher ranks, leave after the initial 2 years of service, usually because of their personal or financial connections. A person's clan and political alliance play a major role in the type and length of Military and National service expected of Somali citizens. Dr. Saeed Sheikh Mohammed, a prominent member of the Somali Canadian community in Toronto, states that determining the length of military service in Somalia is a difficult matter and corroborates the information given by Mr. Sharmarke. The latter also reports that selective groups of students are recruited into the military before they complete high school. Among this group, the favoured ones are sent for training as officers, others are recruited as rank and file soldiers and still others may be employed into the civil service; depending on the demand at the time. Some are even pulled out of Halane or National Service and recruited into the military.

Attached please find excerpts from the following documents:
Colin Legum, ed., African Contemporary Record Annual Survey and Documents 1986-1987, New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1987, pp.B410-B411.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1986, Washington: U.S. Department of State, 1987, pp.267-273.
Conscientious Objection to Military Service, London: Amnesty International Publications, 1988, pp.16-17.
George T. Kurian, Encyclopedia of the Third World, Third Edition, vol.III, New York: Facts on File Inc., 1987, p.1805.
Critique A Review of the Department os State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1986, New York: Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, 1987, pp.122-123.

2. According to Mr. Abdullah Adam, a prominent member of the Arab Canadian community, Halane was the name of a young Somali soldier who died during the Ogaden war. [ I.M. Lewis, A Modern History of Somalia, (Boulder: Westview Press, 1988), p.212.] Halane is the name given to the military training camp located in Mogadishu. Mr. Adam stated that it is compulsory for high school graduates to attend the Halane for a mandatory 6 month term. This information was corroborated by Mr. Ismael Abdullahi, the president of the Northern Somali Association in Montreal, who noted that it is not possible to secure work or attend university without proof of completion of Halane. He also stated that Halane refers not only to the name of the place and the school but also to the actual military training program. It is after Halane that high school graduates embark on the mandatory National Service for a year. Secondary schools end around July and Halane starts in October.

Mr. Abdullahi notes that the Halane, previously the Military Academy, was opened in 1971 to provide political orientation and military training for the military cadres. The next year, the Halane catered to the top government directors and chiefs, and in 1973, it was mandatory for all working people in Mogadishu to attend. After 1973, working people in all regions of Somalia were obliged to undergo the training program. Between 1971 and 1975, the training program at Halane lasted 3 months, however, after that it was extended to 6 months.

Although I.M. Lewis addresses the issue of the Halane, he writes about its function only as a national top-level orientation centre for the higher public service cadres. Attached is an excerpt from I.M. Lewis, A Modern History of Somalia, Boulder: Westview Press, 1988, pp.212-213.

Both Mr. Adam and Mr. Abdullahi state that "Gourmed" is a term that means "supporting force". It is the help or support that is provided when someone is in danger or in need. It is also applicable to the support that is given when the army is besieged and needs assistance. Mr. Abdullahi states that Gourmed is the Somali emergency relief service, consisting of firefighters, para-medics, and general relief workers in a variety of areas such as health, agriculture and education.

Apparently Gourmed is the parallel system to the military in Somalia. The Gourmed is made up of the lower ranks of party members, who also attend the Halane for the 6 month term. Upon graduation, a person may choose to go to Gourmed instead of participating in the National Service. Once a person has chosen the Gourmed, then they are given basic disaster relief training and are then put into the Gourmed reserve. They remain a part of the reserve for about five years and must proceed to any part of the country that is experiencing a catastrophe. In such cases, the top administration for a region would summon all the Gourmed to deal with the situation. Information given by oral sources on Gourmed can not be corroborated by published sources currently available to the IRBDC.

According to Mr. Abdullahi Adam, a prominent member of the Arab Canadian community, the Somali National Service is two pronged; the Halane on the one side and the National Service on the other. Once students graduate from high school in June or July, they are obliged to report to the Halane, a political and military training school, for a mandatory 6 month course. Following that, through the National Service, the young adults are sent to different parts of the country to work in various fields, be it educational, agricultural, medical and social. Apparently it is the government's way of indirectly recovering payment for the education it provided to these young adults. Mr. Adam states that one does not have any choice regarding the region of their posting. Most of the postings, lasting between one and one and a half years, are situated in the rural areas. The president of the North Somali Association in Montreal corroborates the above information, but states that choice is permitted regarding the field of service and the region.

The director for Research Resource Division for Refugees at Carleton University stated that the persons participating in the National Service have no choice in determining the region of their posting.

According to Mr. Allan Egbert, a lawyer, aspects of the National Service are transformed as the political and military situation in the country changes. Therefore it is difficult to treat it as an organization with a firm set of rules and terms of service. Mr. Ebert states that high school graduates, both male and female, commence the Halane program in August for a period of 3 months. At Halane, students follow a regimen of political socialist training along with military training, which entails much physical exertion and weapon use. On the average, Mr. Ebert states that the daily program consists of 16 hours of training, 2 hours free-time and 4 hours sleep. Food is generally served twice daily and consists of meagre portions of tea, bread and rice or porridge.

Upon graduating from Halane, the students are either assigned to a school any where in the country or are sent to military service in the army. According to Mr. Ebert, the latter situation has been more frequent since the military operations of the SNM. Should they be sent to teach in a school, the duration of their terms is usually for 9 months. Once the National Service is completed, then the students are ostensibly permitted to choose between military service and university. However, according to Mr. Ebert, students must not only complete Halane before they may receive their high school diploma, but must also pay an extra fee. Completing the required documentation from various government offices for acceptance and finally for registration in a university, is time consuming and unpredictable. Mr. Ebert states that anyone suspected of ties to opposition groups or holding political views different from those of the ruling party, would not be granted access to university.