A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance Third Edition

The reform of the MoD is seen as a pre-requisite for the progress of DDR, the formation
of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the wider SSR process. After the fall of the
Taliban, the MoD was taken over by Marshall Fahim Khan and staffed with his mainly Tajik
supporters. Initial reforms occurred in August 2002 with the appointment of several non-
Tajiks to senior positions. In September 2003, the US and the Japanese established a
General Staff Reform Team to push through further reforms and conduct training of senior
staff.
During the pilot phase of the ANBP, which started in October 2003, over 6,000 soldiers
were disarmed in five locations – Kabul/Parwan, Kunduz, Mazar-i Sharif, Gardez and
Kandahar. Former combatants were offered a range of reintegration activities – such as
vocational training, small business opportunities, demining or joining the ANA or Afghan
National Police (ANP).
The main phase of the ANBP got underway on 17 May 2004. During part one of the main
phase, scheduled to be completed by June 2004, the ANBP had initially aimed to reach
40,000 soldiers. Part two of the main phase sought to reach a further 20,000 before
September 2004. Part one fell significantly behind schedule, and as of mid-July 2004,
approximately 10,700 combatants had been disarmed. There were concerns that the slow
progress of DDR would have an adverse effect on the election process.
The DDR process is carried out by ANBP through Regional Verification Committees (RVCs)
and Mobile Disarmament Units (MDUs), and overseen by the International Observer Group
(IOG). Lists of soldiers to be disarmed are provided by regional commanders to the MoD.
These lists are then checked by the RVCs, which consist of seven local individuals who are
seen as independent from the major factions in the area. At the time of disarmament,
soldiers hand in their weapons and are given a medal and a certificate. The weapons are
engraved and a bar code sticker is attached. The MDUs store the weapons until they can
be transported back to a central storage facility.
Shortly after handing in their weapons, the soldiers visit the Regional ANBP office where
their photos and fingerprints are taken and they are given an ID card. They are also given
mine education, career advice, and take an oath agreeing to abide by a Code of Conduct.
In the final part of the demobilisation stage, the ex-soldier is given a compensation package
that includes food items and a shalwar kameez (traditional clothing). Initially a cash payment
of US $200 dollars was also made, but there were problems with extortion by commanders.
It has been decided that instead of the cash, additional items will be added to the compensation
package. Two to three weeks later, the ex-soldiers return to the ANBP office for further
career counselling and to be allocated a job or interim activity.
ELJ - Emergency Loya Jirga
The Bonn Agreement called for two loya jirgas – an Emergency Loya Jirga (ELJ) and
a Constitutional Loya Jirga (CLJ) – to be held during the transition period leading to the
establishment of a freely and fairly elected government.
25