In Eritrea, youth say frustrated by long service

By Jack Kimball

ASMARA (Reuters) - God surveys the world one day, seeing the mountains, valleys, seas and all there is.

Suddenly God stops and exclaims: "Why is Eritrea so green? I specifically made that country dry and yellow!"

The angel Gabriel leans over and whispers: "My Lord, those are army uniforms."

So goes a joke about mandatory national service in Eritrea, a Red Sea state that keeps an estimated 1 in 15 people in the army often for years beyond the obligatory 12 to 18 months.

One of Africa's newest and smallest nations boasts one of the continent's largest armies in an area where a war in Somalia and Eritrea's own border dispute with Ethiopia fuel instability.

At least 320,000 Eritreans are in the army out of a population of 4.7 million, the World Bank says.

Asmara has the largest armed forces in sub-Saharan Africa, ahead of arch-foe Ethiopia with 138,000 troops, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The government in this tightly ruled country says a large army is needed because of tensions with Ethiopia. Troops also work on development projects, it says.

But many young Eritreans say they are frustrated with having to spend years doing national service and only making around $20 per month. Some have even begun fleeing the Red Sea state.

"I want to serve my country, but not forever," said one young man, who has served four years so far and asked not to be named -- like many in Eritrea when talking to journalists.

All Eritreans over 18 and under 40 must do 12 to 18 months of national service, according to a proclamation that followed Eritrea's independence from Ethiopia in 1991.

But in practice, military service can be extended indefinitely, analysts and human rights groups say.

Up to 25,000 Eritreans leave illegally each year, most crossing into Sudan and Ethiopia to make their way to Europe or the Middle East, diplomats and aid agencies say.

Many say they are fleeing national service. Eritrea restricts exit visas and passports of military-eligible men and women under 50 and 47 respectively.

"FORCED"