UN monitors first-ever voluntary Afghan disarmament exercise
Three Afghan factions in a district near Mazar-i-Sharif yesterday began turning over their weapons under United Nations monitoring, in the first voluntary disarmament exercise ever in the country.
In a process supervised by Afghan elders, the weapons are being delivered to collection points in Sholgareh district - the scene of four separate conflicts over the past six months - by members of the Jamiat, Jumbesh and Hizb-e-Wahdat factions.
They are then transported to military depots outside Mazar-i-Sharif, to be registered and kept under guard by Jamiat and Jumbesh forces - with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) empowered to monitor their safekeeping.
The process is taking place under the auspices of the multi-party Security Commission in Mazar-i-Sharif, observed and facilitated by UNAMA. The UN Mission reports unanimous support for the exercise by the people of Sholgareh district, as well as widespread agreement on expanding disarmament in the region.
