2011-12-CA-747-287

MASS REINTEGRATION OF INSURGENTS IN QALA-I-NAW  - More than 250 insurgents have embraced the Peace Program of the Afghan government in the area of action.

It has been the rehabilitation and arming of the largest held to date in Afghanistan 
LtC. José María Rivera Moreno, Spainish Army, Regional Command-West Public Affairs

Qala-i-Naw, Afghanistan (14 December, 2011) —This morning, to the Badghis Provincial Government facilities –former Spanish contingent base and assigned to the Afghan Administration, have gone fifteen groups of insurgents from different parts of the province of Badghis with the common goal of abandoning the fight against the Afghan Government and ISAF forces and hand their weapons over.

Accessing by different parts of the city and ending the long day's march from areas as Kadesh-Khordak, Golchin, Nakcherestán, Piwart, Gonbad, Kheir Khaneh, Hoze-zuri, Darr-e Bum and Arman, different groups, all of them led by their Commanders, as the wanted insurgent Hajji Mohammed Yusef arrived at different times to the end point where they were expected by the PRT Commander, Colonel Felix Eugenio Garcia Cortijo, the Provincial Governor, Mr. Jam Arman and different national and local authorities.

After handing their weapons over and sign the minutes of which they have pledged to abandon the armed struggle, Governor Arman welcomed to the community and congratulated them on your brave decision to abandon weapons.

This massive abandonment of armed struggle with the corresponding delivery of weapons has been made possible, in part and according governor’s words, thanks to the good job made by the Spanish contingent in the province of Badghis, creating conditions of safety, governance and confidence in the reconstruction that encourages the social rejection to the activities of insurgent groups.

Spain, through the PRT, provides with essential items aid to every insurgent who lay their weapons down. This aid, even more valuable in one of the poorest provinces in Afghanistan, will allow veterans get through this harsh winter until, once in the reintegration program, they learn a trade and be reintegrated into the labour market.

Afghan Government Peace Program, which Spain advises and supports, is an ambitious plan that aims to encourage the abandonment of weapons by insurgency providing, through various programs, their reintegration into Afghan society.

Currently, Badghis, with more than 1,200 former rebels, is a reference and model in this Peace Program to the rest of Afghanistan.