The latest on Afghanistan

Governor Mangal congratulates new Afghan National Police graduates (25/06/09)

At the new Afghan National Police (ANP) Headquarters in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, Governor Mangal recently congratulated 147 members of the Afghan National Policemen Provincial Reserve who successfully completed their Focused District Development (FDD) training. They will be deployed to Lashkar Gah to help provide stability and security to local communities.

FDD training is the national model for the revitalisation of the ANP. The training is provided by a combination of civilian and military personnel from the United States and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), who educate Afghan policemen on their core responsibilities. The course includes training in discipline, security and self-protection as well as policing skills such as community engagement and criminal investigation.

Addressing the ANP on parade, Gulab Mangal said:

'Congratulations on this your graduation day. You have all been entrusted to uphold the law and to protect the people.  The training you have received will improve security and strengthen the ANP in Helmand Province.'

• Visit our Rule of Law page to find out more about the work being done to strengthen the rule of law in Afghanistan

Foreign Secretary's statement on Afghanistan's Presidential elections (17/06/09)

Foreign Secretary David Miliband issued a statement 17 June 2009 on the start of campaigning in Afghanistan's Presidential elections. He said:

'I welcome the start of campaigning in Afghanistan's Presidential elections. The Prime Minister and I have met a number of the candidates over the past couple of years. The elections in August will mark a further milestone in Afghanistan's development. They will be the first Afghan-run elections since 2001. While the insurgency continues to use violence, these elections offer an opportunity for all ordinary Afghans to make their peaceful voices heard. The UK will help the Afghan Government work for a credible, secure, and inclusive election process, in which the Afghan people can choose their own leaders. Like other countries supporting Afghanistan's elections, the UK does not support any individual candidate.

I urge the people of Afghanistan to exercise their vote. And I encourage all the Presidential candidates to set out their proposals clearly so that Afghans can make an informed choice.'

Find out more:

• Read an article about UN Secretary General's Special Representative Kai Eide's call for open and fair campaigning (UNAMA website, link opens in a new window)
• Read a statement by US President Barack Obama on the start of the Afghan Election Campaign (White House website, link opens in a new window)
• Read an article from the British Embassy in Kabul in which Mark Sedwill, the British Ambassador to Afghanistan, expresses the UK's support for the statements of UNSGSR Eide and President Obama (British Embassy in Kabul website, link opens in a new window)

Afghan artefacts returned to Kabul National Museum (11/06/09)

Kabul National Museum will soon be staging an exhibition of artefacts looted from Afghanistan. The British Ambassador, Mark Sedwill, met with the museum's director, Dr. Omara Khan Masoudi, to discuss the history of the museum, its reconstruction and the story of the returned artefacts from the UK before having a look around the museum.

The return of the artefacts was a joint effort by the UK and Afghan governments, with the assistance of UNESCO, the Afghan Red Crescent society and the British Red Cross.

The artefacts were seized by HM Revenue and Customs in 3 detections over an 11 day period in July 2004, upon entry to the United Kingdom. The artefacts were formally identified as Afghan in origin by the British Museum and consist of miniature columns, weights, sceptres, stone mortars, bowls, vases, pottery and sculptures dated circa 3000BC and various marble reliefs from the 10th to 16th centuries. Items of particular note include a number of 4,000-year-old "Bactrian" stone artefacts, looted from sites in northern Afghanistan and objects from Afghanistan's fabled "golden period" of the 10th - 12th centuries AD.

Boosting trade from Helmand airfield (03/06/2009)

The Department for International Development today announced £4.5 million of aid to boost trade from Helmand's renovated airfield, which was officially opened on Wednesday 3 June.

At the opening, British Ambassador to Afghanistan Mark Sedwill said:

"This new investment will improve the security, infrastructure and airport facilities needed to turn an airfield into a thriving business centre."

The centre will allow produce from the fertile Helmand valley to be prepared for food markets around the country and provide farmers with a further incentive to plant legal crops rather than illegal poppy.

Read a DFID press release about Helmand's renovated airfield (DFID website, link opens in a new window)

UN's deputy envoy bids a fond farewell to Afghanistan (25/05/2009)

After six years in Afghanistan the United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Chris Alexander, is leaving the country.

Mr Alexander has worked in Kabul since 2003, first as Canadian ambassador, and then as one of two deputies at the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) with responsibility for political affairs.

Mr Alexander said much more had to be done in Afghanistan “but at the same time, sometimes many people both Afghans and foreigners forget what the starting point was. They forget how devastated, how isolated Afghanistan was in 2001."

In August Afghanistan holds presidential and provincial council elections.

“What I regret is that the scale of effort wasn’t larger at the beginning; fortunately it’s much larger now and the prospects for the future, if the Government takes the right decisions, if Afghans consider their options seriously in these elections, if they demand accountability from their elected leaders, the future can be bright,” added Mr Alexander.

Mr Alexander’s successor at UNAMA is Peter W. Galbraith from the United States who’ll be taking up his post in June.

Read a UNAMA article about Mr Alexander's departure (UNAMA website, link opens in a new window)

Government comes to former Taliban stronghold (22/05/2009)

A school, a health clinic and government buildings have been opened in what was once one of the most dangerous towns in Afghanistan.

Since 2006, the town of Sangin in northern Helmand has been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the province. But on Friday 22 May, three new facilities were opened by Mohammad Ehsan Zia, the Minister for Rural Rehabilitation and Development – the first time a central Government minister has visited the town.

After meeting local elders and officials, Minister Zia got a tour on foot around the facilities– a new Community Health Clinic, new Government offices for the District Governor, and the new district Hasham Sirwan High School, which will provide education for 1200 pupils. Both the clinic and the offices were paid for by the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team, working under the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

More than 400 local people attended a shura outside the school. Minister Zia said:

"I spoke to the people and described the desire and commitment of the central government to work with them to improve their living conditions and to bring security and in return I requested them to encourage their sons and brothers to join the ANA [Afghan National Army] and ANP [Afghan National Police]. I told them that the British are not here forever and we have to take responsibility as soon as possible."

The UK Government employs a civilian Stabilisation Advisor in Sangin, Nick Pounds, a retired Brigadier in the Royal Marines, who has been in post since last summer. Pounds said:

"There is still some intimidation but much more freedom of movement - there is still a long way to go, but we’ve made a good start. The message for people in the UK is that it’s been a hard graft, particularly for our soldiers here, but it’s not been for nothing - there is tangible progress.”

Prime Minister's statement on UK strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan (29/04/2009)

Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a statement to Parliament today on the updated UK strategy for our actions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This builds on the strategy for Afghanistan the Prime Minister announced in December 2007, and the consistent support we have given to Pakistan in recent years.  The Prime Minister said:

"In December 2007 we led the way with our proposals to complement the brave action of our troops by building up the Afghan army and police and local government to give Afghans more control over their own affairs. Tackling terrorism in and from the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan drives forward our new set of proposals today.

We will complement the necessary military action with economic, social and political progress aimed at building stronger and more effective democracies and strengthening the ability of the Afghan and Pakistan authorities to take greater responsibility for action against terrorism, building the strength in Afghanistan and Pakistan upon which their security and our security here in Britain ultimately depend."

DFID also launched the new Country Plan for Afghanistan 2009-2013 today. The plan sets out the framework for Britain’s aid to the country for the next four years with a pledge of over £127 million a year in assistance between now and 2013, a total of £510 million.

DFID’s support to Afghanistan forms part of the UK Government’s strategy for the region, as set out by the Prime Minister today. The UK's work to help Afghanistan function as a responsible and accountable state will improve stability across the region – which will in turn help ensure security for the UK.

Find out more:

• Read the text of the Prime Minister's statement to Parliament (No 10 website, link opens in new window)
• Read the paper 'UK Policy in Afghanistan & Pakistan: The Way Forward' (Cabinet Office website, link opens in new window)
• Read International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander's written statement to Parliament on the new DFID Country Plan for Afghanistan (DFID website, link opens in new window)
• Read a DFID press release about the launch of the new DFID Country Plan for Afghanistan (DFID website, link opens in new window)
• Read an MOD Defence News article giving more details about on the UK's temporary troop increase during the Afghan election period (MOD website, link opens in new window)

Prime Minister visits Afghanistan and Pakistan (27/04/2009)

Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited Afghanistan and Pakistan today to outline a strategy for combating terrorism in the border regions of the two countries. The Prime Minister's trip began in Helmand, where he breakfasted with troops from 19 Light Brigade and received a briefing from Task Force Helmand commander Brigadier Tim Radford. The Prime Minister also took part in a shura (a traditional consultation meeting) in Lashkar Gah with Helmand Provincial Governor Gulab Mangal and senior provincial government representatives, and met British troops serving at Camp Bastion.

In Kabul, the Prime Minister held talks with President Hamid Karzai and met with UN Special Representative Kai Eide. At a joint press conference with President Karzai, the Prime Minister said that counter-terrorism efforts in the region were vital for keeping British streets safe:

“We cannot sit by and allow this centre or epicentre of terrorism to continue to exist without taking further action. That’s why we are publishing on Wednesday our strategy for dealing with those border areas in Afghanistan and in Pakistan.

“That’s why we want to strengthen the Afghan forces, police and army, and that’s why also we want co-operation with the Pakistan authorities to deal with terrorists and terrorist threats in their area.”

President Karzai welcomed the Prime Minister's visit, and commented:

"I would like to very much thank the British people, through him, for the contributions they have always made to the reconstruction and rebuilding of Afghanistan and security in this country, and for the sacrifices they have made here."

• Find out more about the Prime Minister's latest visit to Afghanistan

Cricketing success and International Literacy Week (21/04/2009)

Our Ambassador to Kabul, Mark Sedwill, has congratulated the Afghan national cricket team on their return to Kabul from the World Cup final qualifying tournament in South Africa. He said:

"Their achievement in winning One Day International status is tremendous, and very well deserved. I hope that their achievement will make the whole of Afghanistan extremely proud."

Meanwhile British Deputy Ambassador Tom Dodd visited Kabul Education University this week to mark International Literacy Week, and met the University President and some of his staff. He commented:

"I was inspired by the University's tremendous efforts to ensure that Afghan children get the teaching that they need and deserve. These are efforts that the UK is committed to supporting, whether by helping the Afghan Government to pay for the teachers it needs or deepening links with British missions in Afghanistan and British institutions in the UK. The teachers that the University trains are how Afghanistan will make sure that Afghans have the education that they need to build a better future for their country. The UK is strongly committed to helping Afghans ensure that future."

International conference on Afghanistan in The Hague (31/03/2009)

Foreign Office Minister Lord Mark Malloch-Brown is representing the UK today at an international conference on 'Afghanistan: A Comprehensive Strategy in a Regional Context' (link opens in new window) in the Netherlands. Nearly 700 delegates from 72 countries, 9 international organisations and 6 invited observer organisations are meeting in the Hague to discuss the current state of affairs in Afghanistan and how the international community can best support Afghanistan's future stability and development. The conference is being co-chaired by Kai Eide, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General; Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Maxine Verhagen, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

• Read an FCO press release about the UK's involvement in the Hague conference

NATO Council's annual visit to Afghanistan (26/03/2009)

The NATO Council paid its annual visit to Afghanistan earlier this month. The delegation of 42 Ambassadors (including, for the first time, Ambassadors from non-NATO ISAF troop contributing countries) visited Kabul and also fanned out around the country to visit different provinces. Read a first-hand account of the trip by the UK's Permanent Representative to NATO, Stewart Eldon (link opens in new window), whose itinerary included visits to Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan and Lashkar Gah in Helmand.

Making progress in Helmand - new counter-narcotics and governance case studies (19/03/2009)

Find out more about the real progress being made on the ground in Helmand province by reading our latest case studies:

• In Nad-e-Ali district, local elders have formed a District Council and are currently working to take charge of their community's future. Following the success of Operation Sond Chara (a joint operation by British, Danish, Estonian and Afghan forces in December 2008) which cleared the area of militants, the priority now is to work with local people to bring long-term peace and stability through better local governance. As part of this stabilisation plan, the UK has contributed $370,000 to the Afghan Government's Afghan  Social Outreach Programme, which empowers local communities to plan for their own futures.

• Helmand's farmers are now being encouraged to plant wheat instead of opium poppies, thanks to an initiative by the province’s Governor Mangal to provide alternative livelihoods for farmers. With support from the international community, Governor Mangal has designed a £6m counter-narcotics programme that includes the distribution of wheat seed and fertiliser to 32,000 farmers within a designated ‘Food Zone’ in Helmand. The UK has contributed £2m towards this initiative. Read an update on how the programme is progressing , featuring some Helmandi farmers and their wives talking about why they have chosen to grow wheat instead of poppy this year.

International Development Secretary in Afghanistan (03/03/2009)

Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development, visited Afghanistan today. During his visit he announced an increase of £50 million in the UK's aid commitment to Afghanistan over the next four years, bringing the total committed to £510 million. The extra funding will go towards large-scale infrastructure projects in Helmand province, and agriculture and rural enterprise development to provide more job opportunities for young men and women in rural areas of Afghanistan. The International Development Secretary said:

"This four-year promise to contribute £510 million to Afghanistan reaffirms our long term commitment to helping this proud country recover from 30 years of war."

• Read a DFID press release about the increase in the UK's aid commitment to Afghanistan (DFID website; link opens in new window)

Change of Ambassador to The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (26/02/09)

Mr Mark Sedwill CMG has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in succession to Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG, LVO, who has been appointed as the Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mr Sedwill will take up his appointment during April 2009.

• Read the FCO press release about Mr Sedwill's appointment
• Read Mr Sedwill's statement to the Afghan people on his appointment as HM Ambassador to Afghanistan (British Embassy in Kabul website; link opens in new window)

Governor Mangal and General Khodaidad in London (26/02/09)

Gulab Mangal, the Governor of Helmand Province, and General Khodaidad, Afghanistan's Counter-Narcotics Minister, both visited the UK this week.

General Khodaidad gave a talk at Chatham House on 23 February entitled 'Closing in on the Enemy: Fighting Narcotics in Afghanistan'. On 24 February he and Governor Mangal both took part in a round-table discussion with British parliamentarians and a number of other prominent Afghans, hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Afghanistan.

Governor Mangal also met with the Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary, Home Secretary and International Development Secretary, among others, during his visit to London. On 25 February he addressed the 'Afghanistan: Our Country, Our Future' conference at Canada House, organised by the British-Afghan Women's Society, and on 26 February he visited a mosque, a school and a community youth project in the London borough of Barnet.

• Find out more about Governor Mangal's visit to London

Foreign Secretary in Afghanistan (19/02/09)

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has been in Afghanistan this week - his fourth visit in the last 18 months. On 17 February the Foreign Secretary visited Helmand, where he met with Provincial Governor Gulab Mangal in Lashkar Gah to discuss a wide range of issues. He also attended meetings of local district councils in Nad-e-Ali, where discussions centred on security, planning and the day-to-day challenges facing local Afghans. Later in the day the Foreign Secretary travelled on to Kandahar Airfield, where he met with Major General Mart de Kruif, Commander of Regional Command South (RC-S).

On 18 February the Foreign Secretary visited Konar province in the east of Afghanistan to meet with the Governor, Sayed Fazhullah Wahidi. They discussed a range of issues including development, economic issues, security, and various other aspects of the role of the  Governor. The Foreign Secretary also met with the Commander of ISAF's Regional Command (East), Major General Jeffrey Schloesser, and US civilian and miltary staff at the PRT in Asadabad, as well as visiting the Torkham Gate Border Coordination Centre on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

In Kabul on 18 and 19 February the Foreign Secretary met with President Hamid Karzai; Foreign Minister Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta; Interior Minister Hanif Atmar; Dr Ludin, the Chair of the Afghan Independent Electoral Commission, and the Director of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance, Mr Jelani Popal. He also held a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Spanta.

• The Foreign Secretary has been blogging from Afghanistan - read all his blog entries about Afghanistan here
• See photos of the Foreign Secretary's Afghanistan visit in the FCO's Flickr gallery (link opens in new window)
• Read FCO press releases about the Foreign Secretary's press conference with Dr Spanta and his visit to Helmand and Kandahar

Foreign Secretary condemns Kabul attacks (12/02/09)

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has 'unreservedly condemned' the attacks which took place in Kabul on 11 February 2009. In a statement yesterday, the Foreign Secretary said:

"Today's attacks in Kabul are a deadly reminder of the threat from indiscriminate and violent extremism in Afghanistan. I join the Afghan people and the international community in condemning unreservedly all such acts of terrorism.

My thoughts are with the victims of today's attacks, and with their families. The UK will continue to support the efforts of the Afghan government in helping to improve security and to stabilise the country, working together and with international partners to counter the shared threat from terrorism."

Foreign Secretary appoints Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (09/02/09)

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has appointed Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, currently HM Ambassador to Afghanistan, as his Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sir Sherard will be returning to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London in March to take up his new appointment. His successor as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will be announced in due course.

Speaking about the appointment, the Foreign Secretary said:

"Sherard Cowper-Coles has made a major contribution to the UK effort in Afghanistan during his time as Ambassador in Kabul. I want to continue to make use of his expertise as we take forward our work with both countries which is so critical to the UK’s own strategic interests."

Defence Secretary visits Afghanistan (20/01/09)

The Defence Secretary, John Hutton, visited Afghanistan on 20 January 2009. He met UK troops at Kandahar Air Base, and then flew by helicopter to Nad-e-Ali district in Helmand, where British, Afghan, Danish and Estonian troops participated in Operation Sond Chara in December 2008 to improve security for thousands of local people.  He also held talks with the district governor. Speaking during his visit, the Defence Secretary said:

"UK troops are making a real difference in Afghanistan. They are fighting for freedom and democracy in the towns and villages of Afghanistan to prevent the export of hatred and terrorism back to the UK."

Read a Ministry of Defence press release about the Defence Secretary's visit (link opens in a new window)

Local justice improving across Helmand (30/12/08)

It used to be that people arrested in the districts of Musa Qala and Sangin could be held indefinitely without trial or justice. Now, local shuras look at the evidence for each case, and dispense local justice for minor crimes. If people are arrested for minor offences with insufficient evidence, then they’ll be released. For more serious crimes, they’ll be passed to the Government justice system.

In the district town of Gereshk too, in central Helmand, local shuras are forming to improve justice and security in the communities and help solve community disputes. Government support for Councils of Elders and other support groups serves to strengthen and build links between the Government and local communities, and oversee customary law.

The justice system in Helmand is also for the first time supporting women and children, two of the most vulnerable members of Afghan society and often the victims of injustice. The Women and Children Justice Group, established in August 2008, is made up of 14 women who are all prominent in their communities.The Justice Group creates programmes to help women and children who are the victims of crime, and to promote their rights: for example, it oversees an ongoing initiative supported by the UK PRT in Lashkar Gah to provide literacy and practical skills training for women and children in Lashkar Gah prison.

Literacy training success for Helmand police officers (24/12/2008)

On 24 December 2008 the first cohort of Afghan National Police officers to pass a new literacy training course proudly formed ranks to receive their graduation certificates at the Provincial Police Headquarters in Lashkar Gah. The ceremony was hosted by Helmand's Governor Mangal, Deputy Governor Sattar and Provincial Chief of Police Col Shirzad. 

Governor Mangal called on all illiterate ANP officers to take the training course, and said that those receiving the certificate should be very proud that they had gained some education as well as keeping the people of Helmand secure. Upon receiving their certificates a number of the officers turned to the assembled crowd, held their certificates in the air and shouted proudly "I am now ready to help the people of Afghanistan!".

The 32 officers attended five hours of classes a week over the course of five months to improve their literacy skills. A further 110 police officers are currently taking the course, including several female officers, and in 2009 it will be rolled out to Garmsir and Gereshk districts. The literacy training was provided by Col Inzar Gul and Capt Abdul Rezak of the ANP, with support from EUPOL and MOD police mentors and funding from the UK Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

Prime Minister Gordon Brown visits Afghanistan (13/12/2008)

Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited Afghanistan on 13 December 2008. The Prime Minister visited Helmand province, where he addressed British troops at Camp Bastion, thanking them on behalf of the British people for their bravery and dedication.  He also went to the town of Musa Qala to see the progress that has been made there in the last year since it was recaptured from the Taliban.

The Prime Minister then travelled on to Kabul where he held talks with President Karzai. Speaking at a joint press conference with President Karzai afterwards, the Prime Minister said:

"I have come here to take stock of how our commanders on the ground and our services see the strategy for the future, I have come here to offer the thanks of the British people to our troops, as I have done when I have met them today, and I have come here to show solidarity with the Afghan people and to remind us all that the reason why 41 countries are in Afghanistan in support of the democracy of Afghanistan is that we will not allow the Taliban or terrorists to defy the democratic role of the Afghan people."

Find out more about the Prime Minister's December 2008 visit to Afghanistan.

Better health services for Helmand (11/12/2008)

Access to health care in Helmand province has been steadily improving over the past six months and is set to receive a further boost with the completion of several infrastructure projects in December and January. The district centre of Garmsir, in the south of Helmand province, is one town that has seen the government improve local health care services.  

Under the Taliban’s control, until May 2008, the district’s health facilities received little investment.  Since the government took control of the district six months ago it has refurbished the health clinic, brought in new medical staff and built a hospital that will open in January 2009.  According to local doctors the number of patients using the Garmsir health clinic has risen from 80 a day three months ago to 200 a day now.

Other districts in Helmand are seeing similar improvements. A new health clinic opened in Nawa on 22 November.  It is staffed by a doctor, two nurses, a community health supervisor and a pharmacist. The Bost Hospital in Lashkar Gah has received a $250,000 investment in the building and $1,000,000 of medical equipment.  It also has a new midwife training centre.  Trainee midwife Razia comments, “When the Taliban were here I could never have done this work.  But now I can and I am happy that what I am learning will let me save the lives of babies and mothers.”

The north of the province is also benefiting from better health care.  In Musa Qala the government will finish improvements to the local health clinic later this month. In Gereshk the access road to the hospital has been resurfaced so that patients can reach it more easily: patient numbers in Gereshk have risen by 50% since October.

Britain's Ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles appears on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme (08/12/2008)

Britain's Ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning to respond to a report published by the International Council on Security & Development (formerly the Senlis Council), which claims that the Taliban now have a presence in 72% of Afghanistan.

Sir Sherard said the security analysis in the report, entitled the 'Struggle For Kabul: The Taliban Advance', is "seriously flawed and it exaggerates grossly the state of the insurgency". The report's claims of 'heavy' Taliban/insurgent presence in a province actually equate to a minimum of one attack per district per week. Even in the south and east, Afghan and international forces are increasingly present, including at district level. Sir Sherard added "Every poll shows that the Taliban are deeply unpopular.  People don’t want the Taliban back...and what we need to do is build up the Afghan Government, and that’s exactly what we’re doing."

Afghan MP Shukria Barakzai, speaking during the same broadcast, also disagreed with the report's findings, saying, "This is not the truth...in some places [the Taliban] are [a] threat for security, particularly for civilians, but I completely disagree with such figures."

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