Press Release – for immediate release

Security for ordinary Afghans is deteriorating  

(Kabul, 21 September 2008): 63 percent of Afghans believe that the security situation in their communities has worsened since 2004. They are losing faith in disarmament initiatives and have little trust in the capabilities of the police. Poverty and unemployment are identified as the driving forces behind insecurity and they call for these issues to be addressed as a priority.

“This adds a new dimension to the ongoing debate about the security situation in Afghanistan”, says Shapur Qayyumi acting director of HRRAC. “We need to recognise that the spreading insecurity is not only affecting security forces, aid organizations and government workers. The average Afghan also is threatened” adds HRRAC board member Mudasser Hussain Siddiqui, manager of policy, research and advocacy for ActionAid in Afghanistan.  

The study conducted by HRRAC in six Provinces of Afghanistan, shows that the majority of people interviewed believe there has been a general rise in crime and violence over the past 4 years.

“It is worrisome and of great concern to see that the Afghan people are starting to lose hope”, says board member, Lex Kassenberg, country director of CARE International in Afghanistan. When HRRAC conducted a similar study in 2004, 75 percent of the people interviewed believed security had improved over the past year. Four years later, the majority believe the security situation is getting worse.

Against the background of increasing criminality, most believe that warlords in their area have retained or increased the amount of weapons in their possession compared to four years ago. According to the people interviewed, the government disarmament initiatives, although widely implemented, are at best considered a partial success. “If the disarmament had been implemented well, we would not be facing the problems we are encountering now,” says a female interviewee from Faizabad.

The insecurity is seen as stemming from insurgent activity, corruption within the security forces, the misuse of power by local warlords and the negative influence of neighbouring states. Addressing the underlying causes to insecurity such as poverty and unemployment is the solution, according to the people interviewed.  ‘The establishment of a sense of responsibility among officials towards the nation and towards the poor, the eradication of unemployment and poverty and the elimination of illiteracy - these are the things that will bring security”, says a resident of Kandahar city.

Moreover, the interviewees highlight the role of the International Military Forces in providing security to the population in areas where the police and Government forces are incapable of doing so. 

On the International Peace Day, HRRAC recommends the following courses of action to the Afghan government and the international community to improve the security situation of all Afghans:

• Continuous efforts must be made by the GoA, with support of the international community, to address poverty and unemployment.
   
• The preliminary recommendations of the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, regarding the Afghan National Police should be followed: (1) all links between the police and any particular tribe, commanders and politicians should be broken to ensure an impartial police force; (2) the government should cease attempting to build up police capabilities by recognising local militias; (3) the police should be trained, equipped and structured to play a constructive and efficient law enforcement role to improve security; (4) both a national police investigative force and a strengthening of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission’s role is required to stamp out corruption.[1] Moreover, the salaries within the Afghan police force need to be increased to enhance recruitment and discourage corruption.   
   
• The recent implementation of disarmament programmes such as Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration (DDR) and Disarmament of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG) needs to be reviewed by an independent body and needs tougher application.
   
•  ISAF should give more emphasis to safeguarding ordinary Afghans.