Algeria defense ministry suggests to reduce national service to 12 months

Major-general Mohamed Saleh Ben Bicha, national service director at the Algerian national defense ministry Thursday said his department works on a new draft bill about national service updating as part of military institution modernization.

“The draft law stipulates the reduction of service duration to 12 months instead of 18. It will also include measures to improve national service and its mechanisms,” he added.

He also said the strategy of opening and rapprochement between the military institution and people is about to finish as 34 centers were opened to receive young people and examine their situation regarding national service.

Asked about people who were called in to perform additional service in the 1990’s counterterrorism actions, General-major Ben Bicha said there is nothing new about their compensation except their right in having social services.