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Regional Command Southwest Marines and their coalition partners helped facilitate a meeting with key Afghan officials about reintegration in the remote Zaranj district of Nimroz province, Afghanistan on Dec. 4.
As the transition toward a more independent Afghanistan continues, so does the expansion of outreach programs to those who were once insurgents or supported insurgent activity. For this reason, the Nimroz Provincial Joint Secretariat Team was established and coordinates the return of former insurgents to become peaceful members of society.
“The purpose of (the meeting) was to facilitate members from the Joint Secretariat in Kabul to meet with their counterparts in Nimroz,” said Maj. Ethan Harding, Nimroz Provincial Director for RC (SW) Governance. “It allows them to get to one of the more remote provinces in the country and actually help stand up a reintegration program.”
Provincial leadership sees the importance of having reintegration programs and has taken steps to create one.
“With the establishment of the new governor, he has realized the value in the program as far as conflict resolution,” said British Army Lt. Col. Chris Huthwaite, RC (SW) Fires and Effects Coordination Cell. “With the establishment of the Provincial Joint Secretariat Team, it is providing a foundation upon which the province can then take forward the president of Afghanistan’s national priority program.”
The reintegration program is one of the key parts of Operation Karwaan IV, which involves the coordination of International Security Assistance Force members, sections of RC (SW) and the Afghan government, who is leading the operation.
The newly elected provincial governor, Mohammad Sardar Sabat, has played a big part in increasing the frequency of meetings between his team and the Kabul officials.
“With Governor Sabat, whose been on the job for about two months now, (meetings) actually are happening more and more,” said Harding. “It’s a very encouraging sign.”
There were two separate meetings with one taking place the day prior with three separate ministers and the main one that occurred once the Kabul officials arrived with RC (SW) personnel.
Officials ranged from those in charge of Hajj and religious affairs, ISAF Reintegration Cell personnel and cultural and governance advisors with the RC (SW) FECC.
The coordination and meeting of high-ranking Afghans helps the country move toward a positive direction of independence.
“Nimroz is showing itself to be a model for what a province would be after its done with transition,” said Harding. “It’s very independent. They actually asked us to come down Tuesday because Monday they had additional visits and meetings. “That shows a fully self-sufficient government that wants to have a relationship with ISAF but that is not dependent on us.”
Nimroz province continues to show an increase of development and governance. The reintegration meeting is a sign of the province’s willingness to continue to be an example in southern Afghanistan.
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2012 04:56 |
| Story ID: | 98906 |
| Location: | AF |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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