Afghanistan: UN concerned at possible stumbling blocks in way of disarmament

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan today voiced concern that some militia commanders were slow in handing over lists of their soldiers, posing potential stumbling blocks to achieving the goal of disarming 40 per cent of the militias by September. It said that whatever measures were needed would be taken.

"There are some commanders who do not want to play ball, as it were," UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) spokesman David Singh told a news briefing in Kabul, the Afghan capital. "It is up to the Government and its partners to ensure that these people are brought on board. They must be made to understand that there is a whole new future for Afghanistan."

Militia disarmament has taken on added significance in view of the upcoming elections and Mr. Singh said one of the key points was that factional elements cannot and must not influence the electoral process. "Whatever measures need to be taken to bring these people on board, will be taken," he declared.

"Afghans must feel free to register and to partake in the polling in an environment that is secure. These elements along the way represent instability. These elements can coerce people and of course they are of concern."

Welcoming President Hamid Karzai's decision last month to postpone until September elections originally planned for June, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative in Afghanistan, Jean Arnault, stressed that disarmament efforts must go hand-in-hand with the electoral process.

"The next few months will have to focus in a very significant way on allowing these elections to take place in a country that will not be fully disarmed but should be well on its way towards disarmament," he said.

UNAMA said electoral teams were now operational in 24 provincial centres, with offices open and work beginning to inform voters in preparation for the next phase of the registration process. As of yesterday, more than 1,850,000 Afghans out of an estimated total of over 10 million had registered to vote. The gender breakdown is 70 per cent men to 30 per cent women.

Registration has so far taken place only in the urban centres of Kabul, Gardez, Kunduz, Mazar, Bamiyan, Kandahar and Herat.