Afro-descendants are now exempt from compulsory military service in Colombia, according to a judgment of the highest court which thus extended the exemption already enjoyed by indigenous peoples.
In a statement released on Friday, the Constitutional Court announced its decision to exclude the
"black, Afro-descendant, Raizal and Palanquero" communities
from the obligation to enlist in the army or the police for a period of 12 to 18 months.
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The court ruled that
"the principle of equality"
had been violated by not including them in the groups exempted from military service. The natives already enjoyed this advantage which was supposed to protect their identity as an ethnic minority as well as the cultural diversity of the country. Colombia, plagued by violence from various armed groups for half a century despite a peace agreement reached in 2016 with the ex-Marxist guerrilla FARC, has imposed compulsory military service on young men over 18. He is a volunteer for women.
The 1991 Constitution, however, recognized several exceptions to this obligation, including conscientious objection.
In addition to indigenous people and Afro-descendants, orphans and victims of armed conflict are, among others, also exempt.
Indigenous people represent 4.4% of Colombia's 50 million inhabitants and Afro-descendants nearly 9.3%, according to official statistics.
These two minorities suffer the most from inequality, violence and poverty in the country, according to various social studies.