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URUZGAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Char Chineh district in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, has shaken off its reputation as an insecure trouble spot and is on the path to stability.
Maj. Gen. Abdul Hamid, commander, 205th Hero Corps, Afghan National Army, delivered this message of hope to district officials and local elders during a visit to the remote region of northwest Uruzgan Sept. 9.
Traveling with provincial officials and Maj. Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander, Regional Command South, Hamid engaged with the elders as a familiar former commander of the local 4th Brigade, now one of his subordinate formations.
Hamid said he was encouraged by the strong turn out of around 60 elders and of the hundreds more gathered in the District Governor’s compound to witness the security delegation visit their town.
He said it was a sign of growing trust in the Afghan government from people who have previously been wary.
“Every time I come here I see more progress; the situation is better than in the past,” Hamid said.
“We have come a long way, and now our security and our future belongs to the people of Afghanistan.”
Bordering Helmand Province’s restive north, Char Chineh is of strategic significance to the insurgency in Uruzgan. Several months ago, it was the focus of a failed Taliban offensive.
In May, more than 100 insurgents tried to take the district from Afghan control following ISAF’s withdrawal from the area. In one of the most significant battles this year in Afghanistan’s south, the Afghan National Security Forces successfully repelled the attack and held the district.
The Taliban failed again in September to retake Char Chineh.
With the ANSF now independently securing the province, these Taliban losses have sent a powerful message of government resilience to those who doubted its ability to build on the gains of recent years.
Hamid says they were key Afghan battles that halted the insurgents’ momentum in the region.
“My people inflicted many casualties on the enemy,” he said. “They were surprised by our strength.”
Security discussion moved to matters of administrative development as the elders embraced the opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns.
After years of broken ties with their government, they were eager to re-establish relationships and lobby for increased support.
Amongst those to take the floor was the district chief of police, who spoke of the difficulties in maintaining equipment and personnel in his mountainous beat.
“We are so isolated that when something breaks down, it cannot be fixed.” He added, “Our living and working accommodation is inadequate.”
Hamid offered the Army’s support as an initial display of unity and further emphasized the importance of security force cooperation to defeat the insurgency.
One elder asked for more infrastructure and better access to provincial services.
Char Chineh district governor, Mohammad Ismael, reassured those gathered that their region was slated for future development projects intended to reduce the impact of geographic remoteness.
The provincial governor’s chief of staff said future projects in the region would include a bridge over the Helmand River, improved irrigation for farming, and the possibility of a paved road to Deh Rawud which would connect the district with the provincial capital, Tarin Kot.
Following the meeting, Hamid and LaCamera joined officers of the 4th Brigade and Combined Team Uruzgan at their base in Tarin Kot for lunch. They discussed the success of recent operations in Uruzgan and the 4th Brigade’s plans for when the coalition presence is significantly reduced at the end of this year.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2013 10:07 |
| Story ID: | 113667 |
| Location: | URUZGAN PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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