Afghans in the Uruzgan province have asked the Dutch not to leave their province by presenting them with a petition. In a document given to Radio Netherlands Worldwide, the Afghans praise the Dutch for building and restoring "bridges, schools and medical centers".  As far as RNW knows, this is the first time Afghans have used this way of asking foreign troops to stay.

According to tribal leaders and commanders who signed the letter, "the Dutch have a strong relationship of trust with the population of Uruzgan, which has resulted in ‘sustained security". The leaders ended their petition with an appeal for Dutch parliamentarians to reconsider their decision to leave Uruzgan. In February, the Dutch cabinet fell over the Uruzgan issue. The political parties were divided on whether to continue the NATO mission in Uruzgan. In August Dutch troops will start leaving the province, which lies between Helmand and Kandahar.

Shura
The petition was handed over to a delegation from the military base Camp Holland on Monday, during a traditional shura (meeting) with 100 to 150 Afghans. The people who wrote this ‘protest letter’ were local Afghans, who asked district leader Daoud Khan to take the lead. It was signed by several leaders from Tarin Kowt, Deh Rawod, Chora and Gizab.

An independent employee of an NGO in Uruzgan was asked by Radio Netherlands Worldwide to review the petition and give his view on the importance of this document. According to him, it is "good news" amd "important leaders from Uruzgan have decided to sign this". The document was signed by prominent Barakzai-leaders, but also other tribes are also represented.

Jan Mohammed
But members of the prominent Popolzai-tribe have not joined the initative. They weren’t at the shura. Popolzai tribesmen are strongly linked to President Hamid Karzai and to the former governor of Uruzgan Jan Mohammed who was sacked by the Dutch because of corruption and for excluding other tribes. This Popolzai-leader’s network never supported the Dutch presence in Uruzgan.

The Dutch didn’t sent the head of their mission, but lower diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the meeting. According to the Ministry of Defence, the Dutch weren’t told this would happen in Tarin Kowt.

“Otherwise, we would have sent a higher delegation of course,”  they said.

The text of the petition:

Appeal to the elected Representatives of the Dutch People

We Elders, Maleks and Commanders of tribes from the districts Tarin Kowt, Chora, Dehra Wood and Gizab in Uruzgan with firm faith in God Almighty and believing in the sacred religion of Islam appeal on behalf of the people of Uruzgan to the representatives of the Dutch people.

Cause of our appeal is the discussion of the Netherlands for extending the military contribution to ISAF Mission in Afghanistan.

We fear that a withdrawal of Dutch soldiers from Uruzgan lasting significant negative consequences for until now the very successful process of social and economic development of the Province of Uruzgan.

Roads, bridges, schools, health centre and administration building have been built and restored. Programs for drinking water supply, irrigation, water reservoirs and electricity supply were realized. Many development programs for farmers and for improving family income have been implemented. 70% of families in Uruzgan have directly benefited from the Dutch economic aid to developing Uruzgan. Visible consequence of agricultural support is for example the significant decline in poppy cultivation in Uruzgan.

The economic and social progress would not have been achieved without military protection of the environment by the Dutch PRT. Afghan security forces are not yet capable for ensuring security and stability in Uruzgan alone by themselves. Therefore the civilian targets in Uruzgan cannot be accomplished in the next years without military security provided by the coalition of Netherlands, USA, Australians, ANA and ANP. However, without attaining civilian targets, there will be no security in Uruzgan. In the security network of Uruzgan the Netherlands are essential for Uruzgan because the Dutch ISAF Contingent have developed a strong relation of trust to the population of Uruzgan and without such a relation creating sustain security is not possible in Afghanistan.

We will make our contribution to a secure environment by for example fighting poppy cultivation, corruption and violence of human rights. However, alone we cannot do much in the current situation against violent criminal groups of insurgents.

The Shura knows that the mission for the Dutch troops in Uruzgan was dangerous and it will remain. With sadness and respect, we will always keep the memory of fallen soldiers.

With sorrow we think of the death of Afghan people and the fallen great tribe leader Rozi Khan.

Their death should not be for nothing.

We appeal to the elected representatives of the Dutch population, do not leave Uruzgan in the middle of the process of Province Building and please vote for a temporary extension of the ISAF Mission in Uruzgan in the interest of peace in Uruzgan, Afghanistan and throughout the region.

This appeal has been formulated and signed by the participants of the Shura which was held in Sarshakhli Tarin Kowt.