The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) wholeheartedly welcomes the inauguration, yesterday 26th April 2003, of the Constitutional Review Commission. The 35-member commission, chaired by Vice-President Neamatullah Sharhani, has a historic and challenging mandate, namely to conduct public consultations throughout the country and abroad in order to ascertain the aspirations of Afghans with regard to their future constitution. On that basis, it will review the work of the Drafting Commission and prepare the Draft Constitution to be submitted to the Constitutional Loya Jirga in October 2003.

The Mission acknowledges the efforts of the Islamic Transitional Administration of Afghanistan to ensure that the Commission represents the regional, ethnic, professional and religious diversity of the Afghan nation and the full participation of women in the constitution-making process.

We are encouraged by the fact that the Commission's Secretariat has recruited and trained staff who are now deployed in all provinces of Afghanistan as well as in Iran and Pakistan. They will inform the population about the process, in cooperation with civil society organizations, and prepare the ground for the public consultation scheduled to start in late May.

The international community is honoured to provide assistance for this process. UNAMA and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) note with satisfaction the pledges of financial support made by a number of donors towards the work of the Commission and trust that the constitution-making process will thus be given a solid financial underpinning.

We are aware of the difficulties the 35 commissioners will face over the next five months. In addition to the logistical challenges involved in holding a meaningful dialogue with very broad segments of Afghan society, constitution-making necessarily raises controversial and emotional issues; and it does so in a society that is still reeling from years of civil war. But this process can make a unique contribution not only to the building of a more representative state but also to the forging of stronger national unity. We wish the Commission every success in this undertaking and pledge the continued support of the United Nations.

Following a recent fact-finding assessment of violent clashes in the Bala Murghab District of Badghis province, the AIHRC and UNAMA condemn in the strongest possible terms the perpetrators of human rights abuses and their commanders. We urge the Governor of Badghis and the local police to exercise all possible influence to end these violations; to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice; as well as to take all other necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of similar events.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the AIHRC stress that those who were wounded and those whose relatives were killed or had houses and property looted or destroyed must receive adequate compensation. We further urge the Central Government to pay attention to the civilian population of the area and to its basic needs; as well as to take concrete measures to correct both short- and long-term oppressive socio-economic practices.

From 16-20 April, the AIHRC and UNAMA joined a delegation sent by the Central Government to carry out a preliminary fact-finding assessment of clashes that began in Bala Murghab on 24 March. A major focus was on the impact of the fighting on human rights particularly in the Akazi village. Information gathered from Akazi elders and from local human rights activists point to extremely serious violations of human rights before and during the recent armed conflict. Such violations are a serious threat to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

According to reports, during the recent conflict in Akazi village, 38 civilians died while 761 homes and 21 shops were looted. Among the persons who died were 3 women and 12 children who drowned in a river. Some reports say that they threw themselves in the river to escape the gunfire. Others said the women jumped in to avoid being abused by soldiers. Reports further state that a coalition of local factions pursuing Juma Khan and his troops executed 26 individuals whose bodies were found with their hands tied behind their backs.

According to interlocutors there was an already established pattern of human rights violations in Bala Murghab prior to the recent fighting which may have even triggered the conflict. Reportedly these included: forced taxation of the local population by soldiers and armed individuals not wearing any recognizable uniform; extortion of money and food and; confiscation of cattle and harvest. Failure to comply with the demands of the soldiers resulted in ill treatment and torture and even extra-judiciary executions. Interlocutors also pointed out that persons refusing to comply with requests by the soldiers were labeled as Taliban.

The AIHRC and UNAMA observed gross neglect of the local population including extremely high levels of illiteracy and a total absence of infrastructures as well as qualified teachers. The population does not complain to the local authorities out of fear that this would only exacerbate their abusive behaviour. The remoteness of the area often makes it impossible for these people to address complaints to the central government.

The AIHRC and UNAMA will continue to investigate the human rights violations in Badghis and to monitor actions required from local, regional and central authorities to redress the situation.

Food, water, health services and non-food items have now been provided to 255 families (1,500 persons) whose villages were flooded in the Shomali plains (Inchu Sub District, Parwan Province). And most of those families have now been relocated to an area about 5km south of Bagram called Barikap.

A committee made up of representatives of local Government, the Ministries of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MMRD), Refugees and Repatriation (MRR), the police as well as representatives of flood victims has been established to respond to the daily management of the area, distribution and erection of tents and providing relief supplies to affected families.

Barikap, in contrast to the original villages that were flooded, does not have any social infrastructure, health facilities, schools, water or commercial networks. The Afghanistan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has made available on a daily basis a mobile clinic, while drinking water was supplied by the coalition in the initial phases. The water supply is now being handed over to the MRRD who will be supported by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Two to three wells are currently being drilled. But until those wells are completed, which is in the next three days, drinking water is being trucked into Barikap. The Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) has provided material for the construction of latrines, while the United Nations Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA) is continuing its survey of the area, marking potential contaminated areas.

We have a more detailed handout listing all joint efforts to address the needs of the flood victims at the side of the room for you.

Since the signing of the peace agreement in Maymana, Faryab Province on 11 April the political situation in the provincial capital continues to improve while the city itself has returned to normal. International humanitarian staff members have now all returned to the city and resumed their duties with their respective organizations

On 23 April a follow-up agreement, reiterating the earlier decisions of the 11 April was signed and seen by all participants as a positive step towards maintaining peace in Maymana. In addition, this agreement stressed that Maymana's four police posts could only be staffed by members of the police and not by members of other departments such as the National Security Directorate.

UNAMA has so far been involved with all negotiations in Maymana and the monitoring of the implementation of the peace agreement. The mission has supervised the removal of 23 military posts from the city; collected approximately 400 weapons (both heavy and light); monitored the departure of over 1100 armed men out of the city; assisted in checking vehicles and houses for weapons, and escorted weapons and armed men to the outskirts of the city. Moreover, the release of approximately 29 prisoners was facilitated by UNAMA. While it seems that all prisoners have been released, UNAMA continues to verify each case.

Unknown people threw a small explosive devise at the United Nations Office for Drug and Crime (UNODC) in Jalalabad on Thursday April 24 at 9:45 p.m. This office is actually joint office of UNODC as well as Government Narcotics Office.

It appears that the explosive was thrown from a pick up vehicle which was driving by the office and that the device was either on a fuse or on a timer. There were no casualties or damage to the main building. There was, however very small damage to one of the buildings in the compound.

The Jalalabad Police is currently investigating the incident. The UNODC office is located in the west end of Jalalabad city otherwise called Zone 3.

We informed you at the last briefing about the attack on a demining team on the Kabul - Jalalabad road (north side of Tangy Abrishom mountain range, in the Saroubi district of Kabul province) on 22 April at 9:00 am, where two Afghan deminers sustained slight injuries caused by automatic small arms fire.

As part of the security measures the road was immediately closed and monitored for 48 hours, while a security assessment was conducted.

UNAMA met with the local police, the Commander of the Eastern Army corps and the Governor of Nangarhar to discuss security arrangements on this road. The following measures have been implemented to enhance security in this high-risk area:

A high-risk area has been identified between Saroubi and the beginning of the Tangay valley - a distance of approximately 27 km.

Two extra Security check post have been placed in the immediate vicinity of the incident site. This brings the total number of Saroubi Security check posts up to the border of Laghman province to seven.

Roving vehicle patrols are now being used in this high-risk area. The Saroubi Security Office will patrol the road up to the Laghman border. And the Jalalabad Security Office will patrol from the beginning of the Tangay Valley up to the Saroubi check post.

All UN missions traveling to this high-risk area will observe the relevant security measures in place. And all road mission requests have to be approved by the UN Security Office in the Central and Eastern provinces.

Mission Team Leaders, drivers and all staff on road missions are to ensure they are aware of emergency contingencies and security advise while driving in this danger area

A multi-agency mission headed by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) will arrive in Afghanistan on 30 April for a two week visit. The purpose of the visit is to identify the gaps in assistance and protection for Internally Displaced People, (IDP) in Afghanistan and review related achievements made so far.

They will examine the conditions of displaced people in Kandahar, Herat, Mazar, Maimana and Kabul areas. In the north the mission will review the works of the Return Commission, in the South they will study the large Kuchi displaced population and in Herat they will observe the phase out of the IDP camps. Visits will also take place to the areas where returns are taking place, particularly in Mazar and Herat.

The mission will then make recommendations to the Government, UN Agencies and UNAMA on how to strengthen the support for IDPs, enhance links between the actors involved in IDP issues and also provide advice on further enhance the longer-term programming.

The mission is comprise of representatives of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Programme (WFP) United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO) and International Committee for Voluntary Association (ICVA).

Before we go for questions, I would like to inform you that Spokesperson of the AIHRC Nadir Nadiri has an announcement for you and is also here to answer to your questions.

Nadir Nadiri, Spokesperson of the AIHRC: I would like to announce that the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission would like to have a regular briefings not only for the media but also for all International organisations that are working in the field of human rights. The purpose is to inform the public here and the International Community about improvements in the human rights situation in the country as well as human rights violations. Hopefully, we will brief you on a monthly basis at the beginning of each month. For the month of May we will have it hopefully on 3 May in the office of AIHRC.

Questions and Answers

Question: Was the extent of the dead known prior to the mission in Baghdis?

Answer: The mission was a fact-finding mission to assess what may have been reported as human rights abuses. Based on talks with elders and various other people the figures were established. So, in answer to your question, there was probably a vague idea prior to the mission but those figures were given after [the assessment mission].

Question: Was this an ethnically motivated violence?

Answer: I don't think it's ethnic. It's more political. I think there were two reasons for this conflict - one is, I think, an objection to the expansion of the Central Government in certain areas, and second - ongoing human rights abuses, which we reported had been taking place. It was just a loose coalition of factions and there was some objection to actions implemented by the Central Government.

Question: What is the AIHRC doing apart from reporting on human rights abuses? Are they pursuing it with the Government?

AIHRC Spokesperson: As you know there was a joint statement issued by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and UNAMA. Besides that the AIHRC is started to do more investigations in the field as well as to pressure the local governor, in addition to referring a letter to the Central Government. In the coming week we are having meeting with the Ministry of Interior and one of the advisors from the President's office will work on this issue to monitor and to make decisions on that [Baghdis] case.

As far as the other cases concerned which the Commission was dealing during the last eight months - the Commission is following up with the relevant authorities to prevent more violations.

Question: Where the violations in Akazi village something exceptional to Baghdis or was it different from other violations?

AIHRC Spokesperson: The violation, which happened in that part of the country is mostly similar to violations taking place in other parts of the country in the past few months.

Question: Was this Statement made particularly for improving the situation Baghdis province?

AIHRC Spokesperson: Yes, it is just specifically for Akazi village case.

Question: You mentioned commandant Juma Khan's name. What is he in charge of in Baghdis?

AIHRC Spokesperson: He is one of the local commanders in Akazi village in Baghdis.