More than a hundred insurgents abandon the armed struggle and surrender their weapons in the province of Badghis

Courtesy Photo | A total of 125 insurgents, mostly from Muqur and Qadis districts have materialized the abandonment of the armed struggle in the province of Badghis, handing their weapons over in a ceremony held today at the Afghan National Directorate of Security facilities, in Qala-i-Naw, capital of the Afghan province of Badghis, under Spanish responsibility.  

QALA NAU, AFGHANISTAN

07.17.2012

Courtesy Story

ISAF Regional Command West

By Cte. (OF-3) José Luis Cristobal Barcón
Regional Command-West Public Affairs

QALA-E-NAW, Afghanistan - A total of 125 insurgents, mostly from Muqur and Qadis districts have materialized the abandonment of the armed struggle in the province of Badghis, handing their weapons over in a ceremony held today at the Afghan National Directorate of Security facilities, in Qala-i-Naw, capital of the Afghan province of Badghis, under Spanish responsibility.

A first group of about 90 insurgents armed with rifles, pistols, machine guns, grenade launchers and led by the Tajik leader, Mullah Babudin proceeded to deposit the weapons to qualify for the Program for Peace and Reintegration, led by the Afghan Government, with the support of the International Security Assistance Force. Other smaller groups followed the first one repeating the same operation.

The event, with the presence of the provincial authorities and the Spanish forces from ASPFOR XXXI chief, Colonel Luis Cebrian Carbonell, meens the final salvo in the process of reintegration into Afghanistan civil society of the members of the militia fighters.

The Afghan Government PPR is an ambitious plan that aims to encourage the insurgency to abandon of the weapons by providing, through various programs, their reintegration into Afghanistan society. This program is advised and supported by Spain.

The process begins when the authorities, through holding meetings with notables and elders (shuras), notice the existence of groups willing to give up the participation in the armed struggle.

After that, and thorough a process of identification of all components of these groups, it is forwarded for the approval of the central government in Kabul.

A certification period in their community follows. For 90 days they receive a financial compensation to enable them to live on.

After these deadlines, and with the approval of the community, reinserted start a training program to learn a trade that would allow them to find a job to complete their final adjustment.

The PPR is making a remarkable success in the province of Badghis, which is highlighted in the rest of Afghanistan, because it is the Spanish responsibility province the one that has the highest number of reinstated insurgents. Currently more than 2,500 have taken up this plan.

Success is the result of the increased pressure exerted on the whole provincial territory by the Army and the Afghan Police, supported by the Spanish forces in order to expand security to ensure good governance and development throughout the province. This pressure leads a lot of insurgents to reconsider their situation and to consider further more the possibility of reintegration.

To contribute to the security spread, ASPFOR XXXI has deployed two Combat Outposts in the towns of Ludina (COP "Bernardo de Galvez II"), and Moqur (COP "Rickets"), which constitute the spearhead of the Spanish force in its aim to maintain and extend the zone of influence of the legitimate government in the province.

Working in coordination with the Afghan National Army in both COP,s takes place either by performing joint operational activities, which is called "Partnering,” or by training and advicing activities developed by teams of mentors called "Mentoring.”

• Date Taken: 07.17.2012
• Date Posted: 07.18.2012 15:24
• Story ID: 91762
• Location: QALA NAU, AF