Militiamen to men: It?s a start

FOR about three decades now, Afghanistanis have been at war. At different times with different purported enemies. If it was Soviet Union in the '80s, then a civil unrest kept the Afghanistanis busy fighting amongst themselves ? first militia commanders fought for supremacy amongst themselves, then against the fundamentalist Taliban regime.

FOR about three decades now, Afghanistanis have been at war. At different times with different purported enemies. If it was Soviet Union in the '80s, then a civil unrest kept the Afghanistanis busy fighting amongst themselves — first militia commanders fought for supremacy amongst themselves, then against the fundamentalist Taliban regime.

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The withdrawal of the Russians, followed by the loss of US interest, created a vacuum in which several self-styled ‘commanders,’ referred to as 'warlords’ emerged. They commanded thousands of armed men equipped with all sorts of arms, ranging from the deadly Kalashnikovs to mortars, tanks, armed personnel carriers, BMPs, Scud missiles, heavy and anti-aircraft guns. These commanders were like lords in their respective areas.

To maintain these large private armies, commanders needed huge funds, which were not available once the Americans lost total interest. These commanders, then, resorted to all sorts of methods to collect funds. These methods include extortions, private levies, arms trafficking and, of course, poppy cultivation, which brought in huge amounts of money. Unfortunately, then developed this nexus between warlords, drug traffickers and international drug mafias, making Afghanistan a failed state. That gave an opportunity to neighbours like Pakistan and its ISI to have a field day to create the Taliban and push it to rule the country with a very heavy hand.

But the events following 9/11 again brought the warlords into play as they, with the US air-support, threw out the Taliban and claimed a major share in the Transitional Government under Hamid Karzai after the much-publicised Bonn Agreement.

Apart from making a new constitution and establishing a democratic system, disarming and demobilisation of the private militias, on the one hand, and building up of a new and modern Afghan National Army was also a part of the Bonn process.

An estimated over a lakh of militiamen are required to be disarmed, demobilised and reintegrated by providing them alternative vocations.

It became one of the most difficult tasks before the Transitional Govern-

ment and the international community.

Several warlords and commanders were not cooperating in disbanding their private armies and many also feared threats to their own security after the demobilisation. No amount of explanation, coercion helped. They feared for their own life.

However, things did not go from bad to worse. The Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme is now picking up with the successful presidential elections and Karzai seemingly firm in control. About 98 per cent of the 8,000-odd heavy weapons have already been surrendered by the commanders. Believe it or not, but over 30,000 militiamen have also been disarmed and about 25,000 have been reintegrated. They have been trained to be teachers, farmers, other vocations and some of them inducted into the ANA and Afghan National Police.

Militiamen, tired of living a nomadic existence, have happily opted for these occupations. In Afghanistan, where the gun has given maximum occupation, it's a tough transition. And whether this training works or not, only time will tell. But the early signs are for all to see and there's hope.

(Kabul-based M. Nawab works with Arman TV)