23 February 2011 - The second highest ranking member of the High Peace Council has met with former anti-government elements who joined the peace process, as a provincial peace committee was established in the northern province of Kunduz.

“It is our Islamic and national responsibility to bring a sustainable peace in work together to save our country from this miserable conflict situation,” said the Deputy Peace High Council, Attaulla Loodin, at a gathering of community elders, reconcilers – former anti-government elements - and journalists.

The High Peace Council was in Kunduz on Monday to officially inaugurate the 30-member Kunduz Provincial Peace Committee which includes community leaders and religious scholars.

“We try our best to assist and solve the reconcilers’ problems through the established provincial committee, community elders and their representatives,” said Kunduz Governor Mohammad Anwar Jegdalak.

The head of Kunduz Provincial Peace Committee, Assadulla Omerkhil, said the Kunduz residents are “unique toward working and bringing peace in their own province.”

Dozens of anti-government forces have reportedly surrendered in the region since early January due to the High Peace Council’s efforts and about 1,500 across the country, according to the National Directorate of Security.

“We understood that the continuing the conflict has no benefit to our people and country, so we decided to join the peace process,” said reconciled commander Mohammad Nabi.

Another High Peace Council delegation plans to meet with local government authorities and the provincial peace committee in the region next week to plan the preliminary steps of a peace process to see how best to support the reconcilers at the provincial level.

“Providing employment opportunities and humanitarian assistance are the first steps to support the reconcilers to peace and reintegration process,” said High Peace Council member, Farhadull Farhad.

The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) is mandated to assist the Government of Afghanistan and the people in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development. In October 2010, UNAMA at the request of the High Peace Council, enacted a special group of experts known as the Salaam Support Group to provide technical and logistical assistance for the Council’s work.

By Shamsuddin Hamedi, UNAMA