With its Military Engagements Deutschland has been simultaneously playing a crucial role in:
- Peace and Security
- Civilian and Sustainable Economic Development
1. Peace and Security
Image courtesy of die Bundeswehr
The role of Deutschland in establishing Security and maintaining Peace in Afghanistan has been singularly essential by providing German Police Training Team, Security expertise and financial aid.
In the Security field Germany’s contribution has been to both:
- Deutsches Polizei Projektteam Afghanistan ‘The German Police Project Team’ (GPPT), since 2002
- European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL), since 2007
So far there have been about 200 German Law-Enforcement Officers in this mission mandated under ‘Deutsches Polizei Projektteam Afghanistan’ ‘The German Police Project Team’ (GPPT)
Only in 2010, the The German Police Team trained 3,900 Afghan Police, added with 4,200 in 2011 to have them graduated from Afghanistan National Police Academy.
In terms of Financial aid from 2002-2011 Germany has contributed over 300 million euros on Police Training and capacity building in Afghanistan. Added with 77 million euros in 2012 for:
- Law-Enforcement Training and Reform
- For Law-Enforcement Equipment
- Law-Enforcement Salaries
- Providing Funds for Law and Order Trust Fund
In addition Germany has as well allocated on a yearly basis 10. million euros for Police Reform: ‘Afghans Peace and Reintegration Programme’
The German Police Project Team (GPPT) with the D. Ambassador in Kabul. August 2010. Image courtesy of German Embassy in Kabul.
Law-Enforcement Infrastructure Project:
The German Police Team has already been successful in accomplishing the following programmes:
- Establishing Headquarter for the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP)
- In addition the ‘Deutsches Polizei Projektteam Afghanistan has created and established the following Law-Enforcement Projects and facilities:
- The Police Trainings Center in Kunduz
- The Border Police Faculty in Kabul
- The Traffic Police Headquarters in Kabul
- Police Headquarters in Feyzabad
- The Border Police Department at the Kabul Airport
- The Police Training Center in Kabul
- The Mazar-i Sharif-branch of the National Police Academy
- The Extending and the reactivation of existing Police Training Center in three of Mazar-e Sharif, Kunduz and Feyzabad, which they have now over 2000 Law-Enforcement training School.
2. Civilian und Sustainable Economic Development
From 2002 until now Germany has provided more than 300 million Euro to help the growth of Afghanistan’s Economic Development.
For Sustainable Economic Development Germany has also implemented the following programmes in the last few years in Afghanistan:
- Establishing Credit Bank to help local people and local Business growth
- Developing over 600 Kilometers Roads and Bridges added with 700 Kilometers to be developed as the next stage for facilitating transportation for development of Economic in the rural areas.
- Building of new Civilian Airport in in Mazar-i- Sharif
- Building the Afghanistan first Cargo Terminal
- Providing the necessary support to establish Afghanistan’s Air Surveillance system.
- Establishing the Regional Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) in order to assist Funding for Critical Infrastructure in Northern Afghanistan for developing communities in that area.
- Providing financial assistance to help Public and Private Economic Institutions, in terms of Finance and technical capacity building
- And providing expertise to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- In North of Afghanistan Germany has already established ‘Business Development Services’ to improve the condition for the local and small business and enable them to grow their income and economy.
- Added to all these project, for reconstruction and Development in Afghanistan, since 2010, Germany has doubled its support in this section to 430 million per year;
- Deutschland has also provided help for training more than 57000 persons in diverse activities and skill training programmes;
- For helping to bolster new business Germany has granted to more than 188,000 person microcredit and financial help;
- At the same time 1800 credit facilities had been granted to small and mid-size business.
In establishing Security and helping to Develop the region in Afghanistan, Germany has contributed enormously. And still is willing to take further responsibilities.
However it is important to note, that it would be rather naive and overall simplicity, which could encourage only exploitable outcomes, if Germany while providing all these helps and funds, does not place any monitoring system which could track down the tangible results of its financial aids in that region or elsewhere.
By Catherine Stella Schmidt
Europe in the World 