Koenigs announces opening of offices in Zabul, Kunar

Kabul, Aug 7 (UNI) The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today said it would expand its presence in South and South East part of the country, with the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs announcing the establishment of two new offices in Zabul and Kunar provinces.

In a press breifing here today, Mr Koenigs emphasised the importance of regional stability to deal with the problem of insecurity in Afghanistan, noting that India, Pakistan, Iran and the US were four countries very important to Afghanistan.

Referring to the diversity of the international community, Mr Koenigs said Afghanistan would have to have a good neighbourhood with Pakistan, good relations with India, good neighbourhood with Iran and good relations with the United States at the same time.

Pointing to the increased insecurity this year he said the country faced insurgency and not remnants of some local small groups fighting here and there. The insurgents had a cohesive leadership and aimed to overthrow the government. This insurgency also had a cross border dimension since the leadership and certain segments of fighters came over the border,'' he said.

Mr Koenigs said while visits of the the US President George Bush and the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had intensified efforts on the regional front, this element needed to be increased. The trilateral commission would also have to agree upon military strategies of cooperation as it would otherwise be difficult to quell the insurgency.

Speaking on the UNAMA's move to enlarge its presence in provinces Mr Koenigs said the main emphasis would be to strengthen structures of local governance and help support creation of conditions that would enable development to take place.

He said more offices would be opened by the end of the year while stating that the opening of offices in Helmand and Uruzgan would depend on the security situation.

Mr Koenigs said the insurgency could not be dealt only militarily. ''What is needed is to extend governance, fight corruption, deliver development, improve diplomacy for stability in the region and rethink the counter narcotics strategy,'' he pointed out.

Adding that the counter-narcoties strategy had not been successful. ''It was necessary to ensure that there were no high expectations of quick results, rethinking on the issue of alternative livelihood as well as on the interdictory strategy,'' he added.

Mr Koenigs said the debate on rearming of militias was detrimental to the ongoing process of disarmament of illegal armed groups and weakened the efforts to create a legal police and functioning army.

Responding to questions on whether enough had been done to involve the Taliban, he said greater efforts needed to be made on the process of reconciliation, even though it was not possible to reintegrate the terrorist part of Taliban.

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