Some businesses stop in Asmara due to new round of conscription

Addis Ababa, July 19(ENA)-- Some businesses in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, which rely on young staff have been forced to close as their employees stay at home to avoid military conscription, the BBC reported.

The radio said that the capital's streets are deserted at night as people stay home to avoid arrest by soldiers, who now are positioned on street corners calling over youngsters to check their identity cards.

" Those whose cards do not pass the inspection are often put into trucks, taken to a holding center to check their status before being sent off to Sawa, Eritrea's national military training center," the BBC said.

It said scores of other soldiers targeted homes, doing house-to-house searches in parts of Asmara.

It is difficult to put a figure of those who were liable for the call up and did miss out, but it is estimated to be at least several thousands in Asmara alone, the radio said.

It noted that some families say they have so many sons and daughters away in the army that to send any more children for national service is just unbearable.

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