SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – Since being forced into reserve service in the ranks of the Syrian government forces, 30-year-old Ra’id Hakim (a pseudonym), a young man from Shahba in Suwayda, south Syria, noticed that government military institutions which suffer from rampant corruption are administered by a specific group of officials.
Additionally, most supplies in warehouses that are allocated to recruits go to division commanders and security officers.
“Commanding the government forces is limited to only one sect, which insults, abuses, and dominates conscripted soldiers,” according to Hakim.
Several times, officers directed verbal rebukes and insults at Hakim and accused him of being an agent and traitor as a result of evading compulsory service for five years.
As a result of this treatment, Hakim fled his military station.
Since the eruption of Syrian war in 2011, the number of evaders of both compulsory and reserve military service of the government forces in Suwayda reached 40,000, according to unofficial statistics.
Evading service
Despite his family’s rejection, Asa’ad Matar (a pseudonym), a young man from Suwayda who evaded compulsory service for three years, joined the ranks of the government forces.
In order to free himself from constant pursuit by military officials at checkpoints and return to normal civilian life, Matar decided to join the service.
“But I was surprised to see that the officer in charge of us forces recruits to pay money in exchange for exemption from guard shifts,” according to Hakim.
“Officers carry out different types of physical and psychological punishments. Additionally, they grant leave only to those who pay money,” he added.
After granting the first leave following three months of service, the young man abstained from returning to his military station as a result of being blackmailed by officers there.
Sectarian command
“Government military institutions turned to militias run by one group, with the others in the second or third class,” Sa’eed al-Raji (a pseudonym), a major from Suwayda says.
“Many officers are corrupt and are exploit their offices to make money from soldiers by granting them indefinite leave in exchange for taking their wages, with an additional amount that may reach to about 100 US dollars,” he added.
Promotions take place according to the officer’s subordination, his sect, and his intermediary, rather than the extent of his competence and commitment, and this creates a state of terrifying screening within the government forces,” according to the officer.
Meanwhile, what forces al-Raji to remain in office, where he has been serving for years, is the economic conditions, security pursuit, and tough military judicial decisions if he were to escape.
Government pressure
Russian delegations assisted the Syrian government in convincing Sheikhs Akl of the Druze community, notables, and civil figures in Suwayda to urge their sons to join the government forces.
“The government, through its security apparatuses, tried with all means to pressure residents of Suwayda, besiege them economically, and create chaos in order to force them to join the compulsory service, but all their attempts failed,” Restom al-Qaderi (a pseudonym), a political activist from Suwayda, told North Press.
Meanwhile, Sheikhs Akl of the Druze community, notables, and civil figures have repeatedly demanded the government make some changes to the compulsory service, including “making the service of Suwayda’s people inside the borders of Suwayda, and respecting military recruits while performing the service.”