Background
Progress
APRP Process
Funding
FAQs
Background
The President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, stated his commitment to peace in his November 2009 Inauguration speech. He reiterated this at the January 2010 London Conference, where he stated that Afghans need to “reach out to all of our countrymen, especially our disenchanted brothers.”At the National Consultative Peace Jirga (NCPJ) held in Kabul in June 2010, and attended by 1,600 delegates, one of the main focuses was establishing a framework for national peace. With representation from all elements of Afghan society, the Jirga gave its support to President Karzai and provided him with a strong mandate to pursue peace. The Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program (APRP) was developed in response to the NCPJ resolution and designed utilizing previously successful peace programs as a guide. President Karzai issued a decree on June 29, 2010 that detailed the APRP structure and directed its implementation. Representatives of the international community endorsed the APRP at the July 2010 Kabul Conference. The Afghan Government then issued a “Joint Order” on September 6, 2010, that gave detailed instructions to ministries and provincial governors on how to implement the APRP.
Progress
The High Peace Council was established in October 2010. This body is responsible for providing advice to the President, and for guiding, overseeing, and ensuring APRP implementation. Since then there has been significant progress. The first reintegree joined the program in October 2010 and the first annual budget for the HPC was approved in January 2011. The wider budget, covering some $94 million, was approved by the Financial Oversight Committee in June 2011. In September 2011, the first APRP-funded, Line Ministry Community Recovery project was started in Badghis by the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and the Disabled. This project was a vocational training program in 23 centers for a total of 400 reintegrees and community members. As of December 2012, almost 5900 insurgents have left the battlefield, enrolled in the program, and made the deliberate choice to return peacefully and reconcile with their communities. Another 211 are now awaiting verification so that they can enter the program. But the success of the program cannot be tied to numbers alone. The impact of APRP is represented by more than reintegree numbers. There are still issues to be addressed with the APRP. With significant progress in the North and West, the Afghans are now working to set conditions for success in the East and South. Dakundi is a recent example of that effort. In order to improve the implementation of APRP, the Joint Secretariat is conducting training sessions for provincial officers here in Kabul. The Transition and the Afghan peace efforts are mutually reinforcing. The APRP contributes to Transition success by encoraging insurgents to leave the battlefield and reintegrate back into their communities to support their families and contribute to the development of a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.By the end of 2012, there will be 140 small grant projects and 1,760 Line Ministry projects. These include water management, agriculture cooperatives, road building and maintenance, as well as vocational training. At present, it is assessed that 4,500 of the nearly 5,887 reintegrees are assessed to have long-term employment or facilitation through the Line Ministries.
APRP Process
INITIAL CONTACT
An anti-government element (AGE) interested in the APRP may make initial contact with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF), International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), or through a trusted third party (so that he can protect himself from any physical targeting.) The AGE will then begin the interview process with the Provincial Governor (PGOV), Provincial Peace Council (PPC), National Department of Security (NDS), or ANSF. This selection is dependent on who he feels most comfortable talking to. During this time, the insurgent negotiates the terms for his pending entry into the program. Grievance resolution, position/ status within the insurgency, plans for other AGEs to join with him, and types of weapons that he is prepared to turn in, are just some of the topics discussed at this time. The community where this potential reintegree wishes to return is also involved in the discussion and will inform the PPC of their intentions to accept or reject the potential reintegree back into their society. This conversation, which could require multiple meetings over a period of time, results in the insurgent completing the “Intent to Reintegrate” form, where he declares in writing his intent to reintegrate, cease violence, and obey the Constitution of Afghanistan and orders of GIRoA officials throughout the process. Once signed (or thumb printed) by the insurgent, initial humanitarian needs can be addressed and the demobilization and community assessment process truly begins.
DEMOBILIZATION PROCESS
If the initial interview is successful and terms of reintegration are agreed upon, the matter is turned over to the Provincial Joint Secretariat Team’s (PJST) Demobilization Officer. This individual begins the provincial vetting process. During this time, all information and background data is collected from the potential reintegree and included on the provincial vetting form. Weapons are registered as per the Weapons Management Policy. If the PGOV deems that the individual is in danger because of the security within his district/village, he may allow him to keep one small arms weapon for protection. The vetting form is then reviewed and, if acceptable, approved by the PGOV, NDS, Ministry of Defense (MOD), Ministry of Interior (MOI), and the PPC after they have conducted their own independent background investigations on the individual. Each entity must sign and stamp the vetting form declaring their acceptance of this individual into the APRP.
NATIONAL VETTING PROCESS
The provincial vetting form is then forwarded to the Joint Secretariat (JS) in Kabul, where the candidate is again vetted at the National level by the MOI, NDS and JS to ensure APRP requirements are met and the candidate is acceptable to be enrolled in the program. If the candidate meets all APRP requirements, the originating PJST is notified and Biometric enrollment can be conducted.
BIOMETRICS
Once notified by the JS that the candidate can be officially enrolled in the APRP, the PJST will let the JS know when they can schedule the MOI Biometric Team to be sent in to collect reintegree biometric details. During this time the PJST Demobilization Officer will also have the reintegree complete a reintegration survey so that information can be collected and entered into the reintegration database. After biometric enrollment, the “official” reintegree receives his 1st payment of a 3-month Transition Assistance of $120 a month. The next step in the process is disengagement training -- expected to be in place in early 2013.
OFFICIAL ENROLLMENT
Once the biometric paperwork is completed and sent to the JS, the JS updates their database, creates a reintegree ID card for the reintegree, and provides the paperwork to the Force Reintegration Cell (FRIC) to update the official count in reintegree numbers.
Funding
International donors have pledged $220 million to APRP. The 12 donor countries are: Japan (largest contributor at $52.1 million), United States, Australia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, and Estonia. To date, $173.5 million in donations have been received. As of 31 Oct 2012, $41.1 million (23.7%) has been spent.
[The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provides financial oversight for the program and helps in managing the Peace & Reintegration Trust Fund]
FAQs answered by Maj. Gen. EA Smyth-Osbourne CBE late LG, Director, ISAF Force Reintegration Cell
