Key causes of insecurity remain in Afghanistan, top UN official says

The United Nations' top peacekeeping official told the UN Security Council today the many of the fundamental causes of insecurity in Afghanistan "remain unresolved."

In a regular briefing of the 15-member body, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said that the insecurity comes from terrorist attacks, factionalized government ministries and weakening of the political compact that supports the provisional government.

Mr. Guéhenno underscored that as the final and most important stages of the peace process move ahead, "many fundamental, structural causes of insecurity remain unresolved." He cited a tank battle between two rival factions earlier this month, but said "the primary source of insecurity remains terrorist attacks and continued sizable cross border infiltration by suspected Taliban, al-Qaida and Hizb-i-Islami insurgents."

He said with one exception; every border district in the country has been labelled "high risk" by the UN Security Coordinator (UNSECOORD).

Mr. Guéhenno said the UN peacekeeping staff had noted that attacks against government, military and humanitarian personnel are "steadily increasing," especially against Afghans working with international organizations.

Such attacks, he said, "seriously jeopardize the safety of personnel and limit the ability to conduct reconstruction and political activities."

"The trend towards targeting civilians supportive of the central government and peace process supports the view that the UN must also be seen as a target," he said. As a result the UN has temporarily suspended operations in four provinces.

The Under-Secretary-General pointed to "worrying signs" that the political compact that helps support the government of President Hamid Karzai, "may be weakening." He added that further reforms are needed in national security ministries and all other government ministries, which remain influenced by factional and ethnic interests.

"Over the past few weeks, the division between those that would turn the corner of Afghanistan's past, and those that would preserve their entitlement appear to have deepened," he said.