Tokyo, Feb 22: A failure to disband Afghanistan's private armies could undermine the country's first ever general election next year, President Hamid Karzai warned today. Karzai told a donors conference here that it was essential to disarm the 100,000 militiamen and integrate them into a national army or civilian life in order to provide "the security environment that is conducive to the holding of free and fair elections in 2004."
The Afghan leader pleaded with representatives from 35 countries and 12 international organisations to "join in a broad partnerhip to further consolidate our plans to build a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan." Despite enjoying a period of relative peace since the ouster of the Taliban regime in late 2001, sporadic clashes continue to break out around Afghanistan between militiamen loyal to regional warlords.
Efforts to create a 70,000-strong national army under the control of the government in Kabul have been hampered by a lack of money for new recruits.
But Karzai said the national army represented a "a dignified alternative livelihood to the soldiers and officers who make up these armies." Japanese foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi today reiterated Tokyo's pledge of 35 million dollars toward what officials anticipated to be a 50 million dollar programme to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate the former fighters.
Japan has also pledged to help coordinate the disarmament process, which Karzai has said, "Should not exceed one year."
Bureau Report