Combined Joint Task Force 1 - Afghanistan
Khowst Provincial Gov. Abdul Naeemi and ISAF Force Reintegration Cell Director Maj. Gen. Phil Jones address the Khowst Provincial Peace Council at the governor’s residence Aug. 10. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Capt. David Tomiyama)08.16.2011 KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Khowst province is embracing the peace process by placing a great deal of attention on the reintegration of former insurgents back into their communities.
Provincial Governor Abdul Naeemi met with ISAF Force Reintegration Cell Director, British army Maj. Gen. Phil Jones, to discuss the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program at the governor’s residence, Aug. 10.
As part of reintegration activity support, Jones was also briefed on plans underway in Khowst City to build a reintegration center for former fighters who step forward and return home.
The Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program is an Afghanistan government peace initiative that provides an opportunity for insurgents to stop fighting and return to their communities with honor and dignity. To be accepted into the program, insurgents must renounce violence, break ties with the insurgency, and agree to abide by the Afghan Constitution. The implementation of the program at a village level is carried out by local community leaders who work with insurgents to vet their claims for admission into the program and then work to resolve outstanding grievances as they seek to rejoin their communities.
Jones, along with his deputy, Christopher Landberg; ISAF Joint Secretariat Chief of Operations Aziz Ahmadzai; and Regional Command-East deputy commanding general for Development Canadian army Brig. Gen. Karl McQuillan, listened to the governor’s thoughts on how the programs can be successful in Khowst province.
Naeemi also addressed the importance of insurgents being able to maintain their honor and dignity when leaving the battlefield for the new Afghan society.
“These insurgents want a guarantee of safety and a means to hold their head up high after entering the program,” said Naeemi.
The requirements for successfully implementing the program vary from province to province, but the key is the flexibility to meet local requirements. The APRP provides safety for former fighters who enter the program who no longer have to fear being apprehended or killed by Afghan or coalition forces.
A provincial peace council has been established in the province to help with the reintegration process.
Made up of village elders from around the province, the council addresses grievances by former fighters and seeks to find ways to solve their issues as they transition from the battlefield.
Ahmadzai held additional meetings with the Khowst council to seek ways to make the APRP more effective.
“These councils could be some of the most influential and can draw in people across society, including alienated ones,” said Jones following the meeting.
“The Khowst reintegration center will give GIRoA a place to document former insurgents and serve as a safe haven for former fighters as they negotiate a return to their villages,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Scott Rivera, Khowst Provincial Reconstruction Team lead engineer from Sidney, Iowa.
As Khowst moves forward with the peace process, ISAF is there to support.
“We see this as something incredibly important from an ISAF point-of-view; we really want this to work,” Jones said. “The more [ISAF] can bolster the confidence of the Afghan people, the better the transition process.”
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