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ZABUL, Afghanistan -- “If we give a promise, if we don’t deliver, I think that is the worst thing we can do,” said Minister Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, the chief executive of the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program, during a series of meetings May 6-7 in the capital city of Qalat.
During the minister's two-day visit to the region, he spent time listening to and talking with Zabul Provincial Governor Mohammad Ashraf Naseri and other village and district elders from throughout the province. The focal point of the discussions revolved around security, peace and reintegration programs and his four priorities (peace, transition, relations with the region and relations with the international community) with regards to the future of the people in the province and the country.
“There have been several notable improvements in various provinces since this time last year,” said Stanekzai.
For example: In Zabul, he said there are four times fewer insurgent groups entering the province than a year ago. While in neighboring Uruzgan, Kandahar and other provinces, it was much more difficult at this same time last year.
“These are just a few of the examples which shows a positive trend at the political, military and capacity level and are good and positive signs,” the minister said. “However, there are also a lot of challenges ahead and we have to be very careful about the message we are giving.”
“[You] should know that the peace process is generally supported by everybody, the international community is behind it and Afghanistan will not be abandoned once again,” the minister said during one of his meetings with Zabul provincial leaders.
The minister’s visit yielded several productive meetings regarding the approval of the local provincial peace council and the future reintegration of Taliban commanders and fighters, said Air Force Maj. Timothy Murphy, an Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands representative to a provincial reconstruction team in Zabul Province.
“The contract signing of the Provincial Joint Secretariat Team was a huge success for the region,” said the AfPak Hands officer who’s been working in the region about nine months. He said two Taliban commanders came in and began the reintegration process during the visit.
The PJST is a five-person team who will operationalize the program and work with the provincial council and district governors to enroll fighters, register weapons, track those who reintegrate and learn where they’re from and why they joined the insurgency in the first place, implement programs designed to help the community and more.
The minister’s visit wrapped up with a jirga attended by more than 250 representatives from throughout Zabul who seemed to rally behind the guest speakers with regards to their province and country’s future in the months and years ahead.
Other key officials from Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security and High Peace Council, the Afghan National Army and Police, several provincial district governors, members of the newly approved Zabul Provincial Joint Secretariat Team as well as members of the local provincial reconstruction team and the International Security Assistance Force were also present.
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2011 07:08 |
| Story ID: | 70251 |
| Location: | ZABUL, AF |
| Web Views: | 153 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Minister Stanekzai: Afghanistan’s future is bright, by MSgt Michael O'Connor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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