BAMYAN - Around 25 key religious scholars and community leaders from Afghanistan’s Bamyan province have agreed to form a joint committee with the elders of neighbouring Baghlan province to coordinate and share efforts to tackle insecurity in the region.

The agreement was reached at a meeting facilitated by the Central Highlands regional office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in the Shiber district of Bamyan aimed at assessing progress on the resolution of disputes and conflicts at the community level.

Bamyan is considered to be a relatively secure province in Afghanistan. However, the Shikary valley in Shiber district, which borders neighbouring Baghlan province, has seen some insecurity over the past few years. The provincial authorities in Bamyan have long stressed the need for establishing a coordination mechanism among religious scholars and community elders in the provinces of Bamyan and Baghlan to encourage joint efforts for tackling security issues.

At the meeting, participants assessed the challenges of insecurity, which have significantly hampered development and governance in the area and they vowed to play a proactive role in creating awareness among people in regards to conflict resolution.

An official from the Provincial High Peace Council, Sadiq Aliyarzada, told the meeting that with the support of religious and community leaders in the province, more than 100 individuals in five different groups have so far joined the peace process. He mentioned that community leaders also helped resolve community level disputes, which has had a remarkable impact on the overall security situation in the region.

The meeting, which was also attended by representatives of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), discussed matters relating to mutual cooperation on security issues with religious and community leaders.