Dr Habiba Sarabi, governor of Bamyan province ceremoniously receives the weapons collected in the district, so they can be turned over to the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team to be destroyed. (WN10-0004-022)
1 March 2010
Another district in Bamyan province was declared a peace district during a ceremony held in Ru-Ye Sang, capital of Khamard district, Bamyan, Afghanistan in late February.
To become a peace district, all weapons and munitions from a list of illegally armed groups must be registered with the Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG).
The weapons are then collected by the Afghan National Police and turned over to the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZ PRT) to be destroyed. Following this, the district will have access to development project funds up to $300,000.
DIAG is a programme led by the Government of Afghanistan and supported by the United Nations Development Program and other international donors.
“There are already projects in the areas of health, education and agriculture taking place in the district,” said Dr. Habiba Sarabi, Governor of Bamyan province.
Only one more district in Bamyan province remains to be declared a peace district. Dr Sarabi said that should happen soon. Once that occurs, perhaps as early as summer 2010, Bamyan will be declared the first peace province in Afghanistan.
With no large-scale growing or harvesting of narcotics in the province, once Bamyan is declared a peace province, it will be increasingly seen as a model province.
International Assistance Security Forces is currently reviewing the relationships between the peace province status and provincial recognition status in the hope that more rewards and support can be brought to the province, continuing to encourage other provinces to follow suit.
This article was contributed by U.S. Army ls Charles Thompson, 300th MPAD, Task Force Cyclone.