Disarmament process in northern Afghanistan yields 39 weapons, UN mission reports

The joint security team supervising disarmament efforts in northern Afghanistan has collected some 39 predominantly light weapons from six villages in that part of the country, the United Nations mission reported today.

According to a spokesman for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the weapons were collected in the villages of Khawja, Buchaqlik, Haidari Khana, Abduli and Yuzta in Maymana district, Faryab province. "As has become the practice, the disarmament was supervised by a delegation of the Mazar Multi-Party Security Commission, a delegation integrated with representatives of two key factions - Jamiat and Jumbesh," Manoel de Almeida e Silva said. The weapons were registered and then returned to district military units of Jamiat and Jumbesh.

Meanwhile, following reports of tension and possible weapons in two other northern villages, another delegation was dispatched to Charkhab and Qushomov in the Sholgara district of Balk province, the spokesman said. After the Security Commission met with commanders and elders, it was revealed that that the two locations had not been entirely disarmed during weapons collection in November.

"Some 35 weapons were said to be still in the possession of commanders of various factions," Mr. de Almeida e Silva said, noting that on 7 January, five weapons out of 20 promised were collected. At a meeting held yesterday the Commission decided to invite the commanders still holding weapons to attend its future meetings and to ensure that they hand over their guns.