EU verlengt missie EUPOL in Afghanistan tot eind 2014

De Europese Unie heeft maandag de politiemissie EUPOL in Afghanistan met 1,5 jaar verlengd. Het mandaat van EUPOL, (European Union Police Mission) loopt nu tot eind 2014. Dit was nog tot juni 2013.

Dat hebben de ministers van Buitenlandse Zaken van de EU maandag bij een bijeenkomst in Brussel besloten.

De EU wil ook na 2014 in Afghanistan blijven om onder meer de Afghaanse politie te versterken, hoewel het de bedoeling is dat eind 2014 Afghanistan zelf verantwoordelijk is voor zijn veiligheid.

In mei 2010 werd het mandaat van EUPOL al met drie jaar verlengd tot 31 mei 2013.

De EU wil ook met de Afghaanse autoriteiten praten om na 2014 hulp te blijven verlenen.

Het gaat hierbij om ontwikkelingshulp, het versterken van de rechtshandhaving, strijd tegen terrorisme en drugshandel, bestrijding van armoede, migratie, economische en culturele samenwerking, handel en milieukwesties waaronder klimaatverandering.

Verder wil de EU ook nog het respect voor de rechten van de mens en fundamentele vrijheden promoten, met in het bijzonder aandacht voor de rechten van vrouwen.

Aan de missie van EUPOL nemen ongeveer 40 Nederlandse politiemensen en 5 juridisch deskundigen deel. Zij leiden voornamelijk het hogere Afghaanse politiekader op en zijn verspreid over de provincie Kunduz en de Afghaanse hoofdstad Kabul.

Een belangrijke doelstelling voor de juridisch deskundigen is de versterking van de justitiële keten, waarbij de samenwerking tussen politie, aanklagers en rechters speciale aandacht krijgt.


Onder punt 6 in de verklaring van de EU-ministers

• The Council agreed to an extension in principle of the mandate of EUPOL Afghanistan
until the end of 2014. The Council also expressed the EU's commitment beyond 2014
to support Afghan efforts in strengthening policing and the rule of law.
• continuing its development cooperation with Afghanistan in order to foster economic
and social progress and combat poverty.
The Council stressed the importance of adequate security for EU presence in Afghanistan and
the role of the Afghan authorities in this regard, including as concerns EUPOL.



Council conclusions on Afghanistan
3124th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting
Brussels, 14 November 2011

The Council adopted the following conclusions:
"1. The international engagement in Afghanistan is evolving from its focus on security and
stabilization towards political and economic cooperation. After 2014, a fully sovereign
Afghanistan will exercise complete responsibility for its own security and will strive to
transform itself into a stable and responsible member of the international community, in the
service of all its people and in full respect of agreed international commitments. To ensure the
successful completion of these processes the international community will need to continue
supporting Afghanistan on its path from Transition to Transformation.

2. In this context, the Council looks forward to President Karzai’s formal announcement of the
second tranche of provinces, districts and cities where full responsibility for security will be
transferred to the Afghan authorities, as part of the transition process. Nearly 50% of the
people of Afghanistan live in areas which have been or are expected to be transitioned.

3. The International Afghanistan Conference will be held in Bonn under the chairmanship of
Afghanistan on 5 December 2011. The Council fully subscribes to the aims of the
Conference, and in particular that of mobilizing the international community to stay engaged
in Afghanistan in the long term. Therefore, the Council reiterates the EU’s firm commitment
to remain engaged, as a strong and reliable partner to the Afghan government and people, also
after transition has been completed.
4. The Council also expects the Bonn Conference to lay emphasis on the further strengthening of Afghan institutions of governance. It is of the view that if the democratic structures the EU
has helped to build are to develop and work in a sustainable way they need to have the full
support of the Afghan people, many of whom turned out to vote in the 2009 and 2010
elections in the face of intimidation, threats and doubts about the integrity of the process.


5. At the same time, Afghanistan needs to show tangible results in the implementation of the
Kabul Conference commitments in particular in the fields of governance and respect for
human rights and the rule of law and as concerns the accountable management of public
funds. In taking stock of civilian aspects of transition, the Bonn Conference should
accordingly send a clear message of support while urging the Afghan authorities to show
strong leadership and commitment and to make rapid progress in these crucial domains.

6. Therefore during the transition process leading up to 2014, the EU will, further to its
Conclusions of 18 July 2011 and to the EU Action Plan of October 2009, reiterate at Bonn its
readiness to support Afghanistan, as appropriate in coordination and cooperation with the UN
and NATO and other relevant international bodies, inter alia through:
• encouraging better oversight by elected bodies at both national and subnational levels,
in particular as regards the flows and use of public finances;
• in this context, assisting Afghanistan to ensure that provincial and national institutions
function together effectively and transparently;
• reinforcing the role of the parliament, the judiciary and audit authorities;
• promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, with a particular
attention to the rights of women;
• stepping up its assistance for capacity building, inter alia in the fields of subnational
governance, civil service, civilian policing, the justice sector and electoral reform;
• The Council agreed to an extension in principle of the mandate of EUPOL Afghanistan
until the end of 2014. The Council also expressed the EU's commitment beyond 2014
to support Afghan efforts in strengthening policing and the rule of law.
• continuing its development cooperation with Afghanistan in order to foster economic
and social progress and combat poverty.
The Council stressed the importance of adequate security for EU presence in Afghanistan and
the role of the Afghan authorities in this regard, including as concerns EUPOL.

7. The Council reiterates that as part of its work on the rule of law, the EU intends to give
attention to assisting Afghanistan to improve the legal framework for private sector activities
and in particular direct investment, with a view to improving the overall investment climate,
thereby reducing as far as possible political risk, so promoting the conditions for sustainable
economic growth.

8. The Council has adopted a decision authorising the European Commission and the High
Representative to negotiate a Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development with
Afghanistan. The mandate specifically refers to cooperation in the fields referred to above as
well as a range of areas including development, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics,
combating international crime, migration, trade, the environment, including climate change,
and economic and cultural cooperation. For the first time the Agreement will create a
coherent, legally binding overall framework for the EU’s relations with Afghanistan, setting
out common values as well as mutual rights and obligations, so constituting a long-term
commitment to cooperation with Afghanistan up to and beyond 2014.

9. In the context of the abovementioned principles, the EU will seek to maintain funding for its cooperation and assistance programmes to Afghanistan and the region, bilaterally as well as through the EU's budget, at least at current levels in the years to come.

10. The EU reiterates its support for Afghan-led reconciliation and reintegration in accordance
with the conditions set out in the Council Conclusions of 18 July 2011.
11. The EU notes that the Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Heart of Asia, held at Istanbul on 2 November 2011, has, by launching the Istanbul Process, laid a useful basis for a process of political cooperation in Afghanistan’s neighbourhood, owned and led by the
countries of the region. The EU welcomes the follow-up action agreed at Istanbul, including
the Confidence Building Measures proposed there and technical meetings which will prepare
the Kabul ministerial meeting in 2012. All countries in the region need to participate in efforts
to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, thus allowing the international
community’s long-term commitment to Afghanistan’s development to be successfully
implemented. The EU considers that, fundamentally, it is in the interests of each country in
the region to contribute to stability in Afghanistan.

12. The EU and its Member States therefore stand ready to facilitate any initiatives aimed at
reconciling the legitimate interests of Afghanistan’s neighbours, through active diplomacy.
The Council reiterates that it is vital that all countries in the region and beyond accept that
Afghanistan must be allowed to seek the way to peace without outside interference. The EU is
ready, should the Government of Afghanistan so wish, to provide any practical assistance in
furthering regional cooperation.

13. In the course of the bilateral or multilateral discussions following the Istanbul conference, all countries of the region should also be encouraged to open up trade, transit and investment
possibilities for Afghanistan, and, through Afghanistan, for each other. International
standards and criteria should as far as possible provide a basis for this. Relevant international
bodies such as WTO, WCO, ICAO and others could play a very useful role in following up.

14. The Council considers that the UN can play a central role in supporting any commitments
entered into by the countries in the region in all these areas."

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION; Council conclusions on Afghanistan
3124th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting, Brussels, 14 November 2011
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/126050.pdf

Trotse agentes bij politie Mazar-e-Sharif

Het Afghaanse blad Sada-e-Azadi besteedde vorige week aandacht aan vrouwen bij de politie in Afghanistan. Aan het woord komen een aantal politieagentes die bij de politie in Mazar-e-Sharif werken, in de provincie Balkh, de westelijke buurprovincie van Kunduz.

Politieagentes zijn uitermate belangrijk bij controleposten, huiszoekingen en het fouilleren van vrouwen.

Alle vrouwen tussen de 18 en 30 jaar oud die kunnen lezen en schrijven komen in aanmerking om bij de Afghaanse politie te gaan werken.

Lina Sahr, die een maand geleden bij de politie ging, zegt dat ze trots is om haar provincie en haar land te dienen.

Ze zegt: “Er is behoefte in de samenleving aan vrouwelijke artsen, en dezelfde behoefte bestaat aan vrouwelijke agenten, in het bijzonder in ons islamitisch land met bepaalde tradities en een bepaalde cultuur.”

Bij de 303 Pamir zone, de politieregio Noord-Afghanistan, werken nu ongeveer 200 agentes. Ze maken ook snel promotie.

In: Sada-e-Azadi: "Proud female police serve in Balkh"

500 Afghaanse jongeren naar Turkije voor professionele politietraining van 6 maanden

Een groep van 500 Afghaanse jongeren gaat in Turkije een professionele politiecursus volgen van een half jaar. De eerste 14 cursisten zijn deze week op het vliegtuig gestapt en de anderen volgen de komende tijd in groepen.

De jongeren hebben hun middelbare school afgerond en vervolgens een examen gedaan in het Politietrainingscentrum, zo meldt Bakhtar News.

Shah Alam Saband, de commandant van het Police Training Center, zei dat de jongeren naar Turkije worden gestuurd voor een professionele politietraining die zes maanden duurt.

Ze zijn afkomstig uit verschillende provincies in het land gaan

14 van de jonge rekruten zijn donderdag met het vliegtuig naar Turkije vertrokken en de anderen volgen in groepen met volgende vluchten.

Shah Alam Saband zei dat ze na hun diploma van deze zes maanden training worden gestationeerd bij politiekorpsen in het hele land en in dienst zullen staan van de bevolking.

Turkije wijkt met het aanbieden van deze politietrainingen af van het reguliere programma van de cursussen die door de NAVO worden verzorgd en momenteel maar zes weken duren. De NAVO wil de trainingen in oktober wel verlengen naar 8 weken.

Aantal politieagenten in Afghanistan en alfabetisering

Police forces in Afghanistan number more than 135,000. Most of them at a poor literacy level.

Nato's training mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A) estimates that only 14 percent of new recruits are literate. (15-06-2011)

Internationale gemeenschap faalt schokkend in opleiden Afghaanse politie

Interpol vindt dat de internationale gemeenschap op schokkende wijze miskleunt om Afghaanse agenten op te leiden. Dit melden onder meer Elsevier en het Algemeen Dagblad, die meteen in hun verhaal de gevangenis van Kandahar maar tot de best beveiligde van het land bombarderen.

De internationale politieorganisatie Interpol zegt in een verklaring dat de ontsnapping van honderden gevangenen uit een Afghaanse gevangenis een voorbeeld is van het falen van de opleiding van agenten. Dat meldt het Algemeen Dagblad.

Elsevier schrijft: “Van de 480 gevangenen die zijn ontsnapt, heeft Interpol nog steeds geen gegevens over hun identiteit ontvangen. 'Met de honderden miljoenen, zelfs miljarden die landen uitgeven aan het trainen van de agenten is dit onacceptabel voor de internationale veiligheid,' zegt de secretaris-generaal.”

Afgelopen weekend ontsnapten de Afghanen uit een gevangenis in de stad Kandahar door het graven van een ruim 350 meter lange tunnel. De Taliban zei dat ze ruim 500 leden van de beweging hadden bevrijd.

Toen het kantoor van Interpol in Kabul de ontsnapping van de gevangenen bevestigde, waarschuwde het hoofdkwartier meteen de buurlanden, maar zonder krachtige informatie om mensen te identificeren, zoals foto’s, vingerafdrukken of DNA-materiaal.

Elsevier schrijft nog: “De gevangenis is het best bewaakte detentiecentrum van Afghanistan.” Toch zijn ook in 2008 honderden Afghanen uit het complex ontsnapt. De Taliban heeft toen de toegangspoorten met explosieven opgeblazen.”

Het Algemeen Dagblad meldt nog: “Het complex staat desondanks bekend als het best beveiligde detentiecentrum in Afghanistan.”

Waar de bladen de informatie vandaan hebben dat de gevangenis bekend staat als “best beveiligd” of “best bewaakt”, melden ze niet.

Het persbureau Reuters meldt echter dat de gevangenis "een van de best beveiligde" gevangenissen is in Afghanistan.

“The prison, touted as one of the most secure in Afghanistan, is on the outskirts of Kandahar city. Analysts said the escape was a serious setback for security, and there was doubt about whether the escape could have taken place without the cooperation of prison guards. Some even questioned whether there had been a tunnel at all.”

Een van de best beveiligde gevangenissen in Afghanistan, mogelijk de best beveiligde, is die bij het vliegveld van Bagram, 'Bagram Theater Internment Facility', ten noordwesten van Kabul, die door de Amerikanen wordt beheerd.

Dit was niet de eerste massale ontsnapping uit de Sarposa gevangenis in Kandahar. In 2008 wisten ongeveer 1.000 gedetineerden te ontkomen toen het complex met onder meer twee zelfmoordaanvallers, een vrachtwagen vol explosieven en tientallen mannen op motorfietsen werd bestormd.

Geen tunnel
Er bestaat dus ook twijfel of er wel een tunnel is waardoor de gevangenen wisten te komen.


De verklaring van Interpol

Inability to share photos, fingerprints and DNA of escaped Afghan terrorists presents global security risk

LYON, France – The escape of hundreds of dangerous prisoners, including members of the Taliban, from an Afghan prison has again exposed a major global security gap - Afghan authorities have not been trained or equipped to take, store and access photographs, fingerprints DNA of dangerous terrorists for sharing internationally, the head of INTERPOL has warned.

During the night of 24 April, nearly 480 prisoners were broken out of the Sarposa prison in Kandahar by the Taliban, the same jail which saw the mass escape of nearly 900 inmates in June 2008 and for whom INTERPOL has still not received identifying information for circulation to the global law enforcement community.

INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said with countries spending hundreds of billions of dollars every year in Afghanistan, the ongoing failure to train and equip Afghan authorities to collect, store and share basic law enforcement information such as photographs, fingerprints and DNA was ‘an unacceptable gap in global security.’

“It is simply shocking that three years after the largest prison break in Afghanistan history, including of convicted terrorists, there is no data to be shared with law enforcement regionally and globally in the event of an escape,” said Mr Noble.

“Until this glaring and serious void in the world’s anti-terror efforts is filled, no country can consider itself secure from criminals and terrorists who are essentially being given the opportunity to travel internationally, elude detection and to engage in future terrorist activity,” warned the INTERPOL Chief.

“Once our National Central Bureau in Kabul confirmed the breakout, the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters immediately alerted the neighbouring countries, but with no strong identifying information, such as photographs, fingerprints or DNA available to law enforcement on the ground, their efforts are significantly hampered,” said Secretary General Noble.

“At the G8 Meeting of Justice and Interior Ministers in 2007, I said that any country which fails to take appropriate measures at the national level when dangerous prisoners escape would be harshly criticized and accused of malpractice, and there is no reason why this should be any different at the international level,” concluded the head of the world police body.

In 2006, INTERPOL’s General Assembly adopted a resolution underlining the need for member countries to alert the global law enforcement community to prison escapes of suspected terrorists and other dangerous criminals.

50 agenten gevangengenomen door Taliban in Kunar

De Taliban zeggen dat zij een groep van ongeveer 50 agenten gevangen hebben genomen in de provincie Kunar. De groep die in konvooi reisde liep in een hinderlaag in het district Kandi.
50 agenten gevangengenomen door Taliban