Almost 150,000 people have registered for military service in Mozambique so far this year.
They include 96,741 men and 52,481, with the registration process expected to continue until the end of the month.
Conscription is compulsory in Mozambique for people between the ages of 18 and 35. People previously served for two years in the army, but this has now been increased to five years.
Those who register are called up for service only if they pass fitness and other tests.
Many young people do not mind registering. They see the army as a source of employment. They also know that if they do not register they will not be able to study at state universities, as it is a precondition for admission. It is also a precondition for getting jobs in the government or state companies.
However, some recruits worry that after their training they could be sent to the front lines of the battle against Islamist insurgents in the northern Cabo Delgado province.