Progress on economy, improving security is imperative for Afghanistan, UN envoy reports

Progress on the economy and improving security is imperative so that Afghans have confidence in their Government, the United Nations envoy in Afghanistan said today.

In a briefing to the Security Council, Nicholas Haysom, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, said that on the security front, there has been a “deliberate response” by the Afghan security forces to the lessons learned from the dynamics and developments of the past year.

“The battlefield in many areas is in a state of flux, with gains and reversals but with neither side effecting clear dominance,” said Mr. Haysom, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

“The security forces continue to face serious challenges, including in addressing questions of morale, leadership, attrition and logistics. For now, though, they are holding their ground,” he added.

Mr. Haysom said he remains deeply concerned about the impact that the high level of violence is having on the civilian population.

“There has been no let-up during Ramadan, during which period there have been some reports of disturbing brutality, including attacks on worshippers,” he said.

The envoy emphasized that only yesterday, an incident in Badakhshan had caused the death of 10 civilians, among them several children.

“Civilian casualty levels remain high and conflict-related displacement continues. I am especially concerned about the trend of targeted attacks on civilians working in the judicial sector, and on journalists,” Mr. Haysom said.

Yesterday, an improvised explosive device in a market area killed and injured dozens of civilians, including children, in the Kishem district of Badakhshan province, while in Kabul, a suicide attack in a crowded area killed and injured a number of Nepalese contractors, including diplomatic security guards, as well as Afghan civilians.

In another attack yesterday, several civilians, including a provincial council member, were injured. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks and called on those responsible to be brought to justice.

Mr. Haysom also told the Council that, in his view, there is a risk that the conflict in Afghanistan may enter a new phase that could see retaliatory acts of vengeance and an escalating spiral of violence.

On the economic front, Mr. Haysom noted there has been progress in revenue collection and in developing thoughtful medium-term plans for reform. The UN envoy praised the establishment by President Ghani of the High Council of Governance, Justice and Anti-Corruption, among other initiatives, as a positive step towards demonstrating results in the everyday lives of Afghans.

Regarding the establishment of a viable peace process, with the failure so far of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group to midwife such a process, and the recent death of Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the UN envoy said such a process “seems unlikely” in the short term.

“We believe, however, that there are elements within the Taliban movement who are questioning whether they can win militarily, at least in the short term, and wonder whether a purely military goal is desirable,” Mr. Haysom said, stressing that peace is not a luxury, but a necessity, without which Afghanistan is not sustainable.

“I am disappointed that there has been not yet any traction on peace efforts, but remain optimistic that such a process will eventually emerge,” he said.

Looking forward, Mr. Haysom said he remains optimistic that Afghans can meet the challenges that confront them.

“It is possible for Afghanistan not only to survive in 2016, but to grow stronger as a result,” he said.