Daikundi residents come together to resolve tensions and push for peace

22 Feb 2017

Daikundi residents come together to resolve tensions and push for peace

NILI - In a daylong event, local leaders laid the groundwork for a new peace and reconciliation process to defuse long-standing tensions with an armed group, whose activities have contributed to insecurity and social problems in the central highlands province of Daikundi.

The event, co-facilitated by the regional office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Norwegian Church Aid organization, drew more than 100 participants, including the Provincial Governor, members of the Provincial Council, the Provincial Peace Committee, senior law officials and representatives from political parties, civil society groups and media outlets.

The event took place against the backdrop of a long-standing dispute that led to protests against an armed group reportedly engaged in kidnapping and extortion. Armed clashes between the group and government forces have led to a deterioration of security in the area.

Participants in the UN-backed event held to address the dispute came to a solid consensus to launch a broader peace and reconciliation process. The call for peace came amid demands from locals that the government help improve security, development and governance in the district, and led to the formation of a new provincial committee to address the local peace process and ensure its responsiveness to the demands of the community.

Masooma Muradi, Daikundi’s Governor, spoke at the event, and stressed that achieving peace is in the interest of everyone in Daikundi. “Local administration is determined to work together with its international partners to take practical steps for building peace and resolving conflicts in Daikundi,” she said.

Aileen Villareal, the head of UNAMA’s regional office in the adjacent province of Bamyan, said UNAMA will continue to provide good offices in line with its mandate to promote good governance and human rights in Afghanistan. She underscored UNAMA’s support for local ownership of any peace process.

“The call for help by the community of Ashtarlai is about human rights for everyone, including freedom of movement, the right to development and the right to liberty and security for all,” she said. “Good governance, practiced by both government and the people of Daikundi, will guarantee those rights.”

UNAMA is mandated to support the Afghan Government and the people of Afghanistan as a political mission that provides 'good offices' among other key services. 'Good offices' are diplomatic steps that the UN takes publicly and in private, drawing on its independence, impartiality and integrity, to prevent international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading.

UNAMA also promotes coherent development support by the international community; assists the process of peace and reconciliation; monitors and promotes human rights and the protection of civilians in armed conflict; promotes good governance; and encourages regional cooperation.