AFGHANISTAN: NGOs – Security firm ban will not hurt us – the government wants the police to provide security
KABUL, 25 October 2010 (IRIN) – President Hamid Karzai’s decision to dissolve all private security companies in Afghanistan will not adversely affect the work of NGOs, civil society representatives say.
– The closure of private security companies will have absolutely no impact on NGOs, Laurent Sailard, director of ACBAR, a coordinating body of over 100 Afghan and foreign relief agencies, told IRIN.
– If all private security companies are shut down tomorrow it will have no negative impact on NGOs but will even have some positive impact given that there will be less armed people around, said Nic Lee, director of the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO).
Of the 380 organizations receiving free security information from ANSO only a few use private security services, he said. ACBAR also said the few NGOs with links with security firms tended to use their advice rather than armed guards.
However, some private contractors and donor organizations warn they will be unable to work without private security arrangements – something that may indirectly affect the work of some civil society groups.
Some NGOs receive funding from the US Agency for International development (USAID) and other donor agencies and the inability of such donors to monitor projects due to a perceived lack of effective security arrangements, could impact those projects.
By January 2011, all private security companies, except those operating inside embassies, international organizations and foreign military bases, must be dissolved and replaced by Afghan police forces, according to a decree issued by President Karzai on 17 August.
Up to 40.000 Afghans are employed by dozens of security firms, both foreign and local; President Karzai has accused some of colluding with armed opposition groups and criminal gangs.
Læs videre på http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=90879
