Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program (APRP)

OMLT and POMLT Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme (APRP) Pre Deployment Training (PDT) – Kandak Level

ISAF/NATO Unclassified

ISAF/NATO Unclassified

(Ver 3 Dated Oct 2011)

Brief Will Cover:• Terminology• APRP Broad Characteristics• Current Situation• How it works• Relevance to Deployed Task Forces (TF) and RCA role• The ISAF Reintegration Soldiers Card (Commanders

Aide Memoire) • Takeaways• Questions / Discussion

The Vehicle for Reintegration is the Afghanistan Peace & Reintegration Program (APRP)

Critical Take Away From This Brief:That OMLT and POMLT understand the APRP and can brief ANSF

partnered units on APRP within 2 weeks of deployment and mentor them in the implementation of the ‘INFORM’, ‘FIND’ and

‘PROTECT’ effects.

English, Dari and Pashto briefs are on the UNCLASS website listed at the end of the brief.

Reintegration Inside Afghanistan Continues as Normal In spite of The Assassination of the Head of the High Peace Council, Prof

Rabbani.

Reintegration is ‘Front and Center’ of Comd ISAF plan to defeat the Insurgency

The Vehicle for Reintegration is the Afghanistan Peace & Reintegration Program (APRP)

APRP is an Afghan Government Led Program.Terminology:

Reintegration: Is the Term Given to Taking the Fighter out of the Fight, with them Opting out of the Insurgency and Peacefully Rejoining their Communities.

Reconciliation: The Process in Which an Insurgent Movement as a Whole Reaches a Political Accommodation with The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) to Bring their Part of the Insurgency to an End.

The Vehicle for Reintegration is the Afghanistan Peace & Reintegration Program (APRP)

APRP Broad Characteristics• Afghan Led Program that peacefully returns fighters to their

communities.• Supports COIN Whilst Being Enabled by COIN—Offensive Tool• Can Cut the Traditional Afghan Cycle of Violence• Absolutely No Dilution of the Kinetic or Offensive ‘Strike’ Operations –

It is Very Important That ISAF and ANSF Understand This Point• Utilizes Traditional Cultural Methods - Elders, Shuras etc. • Acknowledges Honor, Dignity and the Local Grievances that Drove

Many Fighters into the Insurgency.• Provides for Community Recovery / Benefits to Communities.• Starts at District or Provincial with a ‘Vetting List’ of Potential

Reintergrees that is Passed up to the Joint Secretariat (JS) in Kabul • Each Reintegration Approach and Event Will be Unique.

End state: Insurgents peacefully leaving the fight and returning to their communities with honor— an accelerated peace process

Afghan Government Led Program to “Remove Fighters out of the Fight - Peacefully!”

•Provincial Governors lead the Provincial level Peace Program (APRP) and are setting up the Provincial High Peace Councils (PHPC). District Administrators are doing the same at District Level. •Provincial Joint Secretariat Teams (PJST) implement APRP from Provincial to District level.

Current Situation

• Force Reintegration Cell (F-RIC) Manned by ISAF and Comd by UK 2*

• Over 2,418 Insurgents in the ‘Formal’ Program as at Sep 2011.

• Between 2,000 and 4,000 in ‘Discussions’ and Considering ’Options’.

• APRP is Developing Across Afghanistan but Faster in Some Areas than Others.

• Whereas not the ‘Silver Bullet’ it has Potential to be a ‘Game Changer’.

Many insurgents who are in ‘Dialogue’ are waiting to see how current reintegrees fare in the Afghan Peace and

Reintegration Programme (APRP)

Demobilization

UNCLASSIFIED

APRP Demobilization Trend

110432

617720

821

1152

17121928

2043

2303

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Oct-2010 Nov-2010 Dec-2010 Jan-2011 Feb-2011 Mar-2011 Apr-2011 May-2011 Jun-2011 Jul-2011

# of C

andi

date

s Reg

ister

ed

Afghanistan Reintegration Sep 2011

Reintegration Itself Forces the Pace

Reintegration Activity

Provinces with Opportunities

Provinces with Events

Provinces with No Activity

Events 41

Reintegrees 2497

Opportunities 23

Provincial Established Emerging

Council 32 2

JS Team 23 2

BADAKHSHANTAKHAR

KUNDUZBALKH

JOWZJAN

FARYABSAR-E PUL

SAMANGAN

BAGHLAN

BADGHIS

HERAT GHOR

FARAH

NIMROZ

HELMANDKANDAHAR

ZABUL

DAYKUNDI

URUZGAN

PAKTIKA

GHAZNI

WARDAK

BAMYAN

NURISTAN

KUNAR

NANGARHAR

PANJSHAYR

LAGHMAN

KAPSIA

PARWAN

KABUL

LOGAR

PAKTIYA

KHOST

Kandahar is the one emerging PPC

18

06

10

UNCLASSIFIED

IntentSurveyBiometricWeapon Reg

Vetting

Transition Assistance (TA)

Disengagement Training

DeclarationForm Signed

Not Enrolled APRP

Enrolled APRP

How APRP Works - Three Stages of APRP

SOCIAL OUTREACH, CONFIDENCE BUILDING, NEGOTIATION

UNCLASSIFIED

Security & Grievance Resolution

• Social outreach and messaging• Contact• Establishing dialogue• Negotiation • Grievance resolution

• Registration• Formal vetting/Assess• Biometrics/ID card• Weapons registration• Community security

CONSOLIDATION OF PEACE AND COMMUNITY RECOVERY

• Religious, literacy, and vocational education

• Community recovery• Agriculture Conservation Corps• Public Works Corps

DEMOBILIZATION

Y

N

Your Role In the Three PhasesOUTREACH

• Strategic communications• Peace building capacity and development of government institutions• Negotiation and grievance resolution• Sub-national governance and outreach

DEMOBILISATION• Biometrics, vetting, registration, assessment and immediate support• Weapons management and community security• Detainee release

CONSOLIDATION• Community recovery• Literacy, religious and vocational education• Agriculture conservation corps• Public works corps• Integration to the ANSF

Outreach-

‘FIND and TRACK’

You are to - Assist with Identifying and Report Opportunities Where you Come Across Them.

Demobilization & Consolidation / Development

‘PROTECT’ , ‘SUPPORT’ & ‘SUSTAIN’

You Are To - Protect and Support the Security of Reintegration Opportunities, Communities Engaged in Reintegration and Reintergrees. APRP has Worried the Taliban and it is Attacking Reintergrees as a Means of Dissuading More from Joining APRP.

You Are To - Engage With and Encourage your Afghan Partners (ANSF) to Discuss APRP and Encourage its Acceptance Amongst the Local Population .

Why is APRP Relevant to Deployed ANSF

• Every Conflict is Followed by Some form of ‘Reconciliation and Reintegration’.• Key Difference In Afghanistan: It Occurs During the ‘Fight’ - ‘Offensive Tool’• Insurgents are Under Pressure and Increasingly Becoming Tired of Fighting• Reintegration Takes Insurgents ‘Out of the Fight’• 85% of Insurgents are NOT Ideologically Driven and Fight Reasonably Close to

their Homes – i.e. in Your Unit Battle Space• The Insurgent Leadership Fears the Impact of APRP on their Fighting Strength.• Reintegration is One of COMISAF and ANA CGS Priorities.• ANA CGS (Gen Karimi) Cipher ( FRAGO) Number 265 dates 13.11.1389(2 Feb

2011)• ANP – Deputy Minister MoI Direction that ANP Train on, Support and Deliver

APRP.• It is a Leadership Function to Ensure Your Soldiers and Mentored Units

Understand Why Reintegration is Important.

Successful kinetic ops and a developing ANSF / ISAF footprint has encouraged many non ideologically driven insurgents to reassess

ANA Religious and Cultural Affaires (RCA) Officer and ANSF Mullahs (SNCO).

• RCA officers and Mullahs belong to a 1* ANA HQ based in Kabul and are deployed down to Corps, Brigade and Kandak locations.

• Understand the role of the ANA Religious and Cultural Affaires (RCA) officer and the ANSF Mullahs (SNCO).

• Include RCA and Mullahs in the briefings with your Kandak Command Group where possible.

• Make sure that they understand that they are expected to lead APRP education and awareness and support Reintegration ‘outreach’ into the local community.

• There is an RCA School in Kabul where RCA officers and Mullahs are taught about APRP – some have attended.

• There is an RCA Conferences in Kabul every 6 months; APRP knowledge will be refreshed and discussed at each Conference.

RCA Officers and the Mullahs attached to Kandaks are respected and influential members of the ANSF

Summary of Tasks (‘Effects’)

– ‘INFORM’ - inform the population about the Peace Program.

– ‘FIND’ - help identify opportunities where insurgent groups who are tired of fighting may wish to enter the Peace

Program (APRP).

– ‘PROTECT’ - protect reintegration events and communities involved in the Peace Program from Taliban revenge attacks.

– ‘SUPPORT’ - support the Peace Program (APRP) and those tasked to implement it.

To Help You there is the ISAF Reintegration Soldiers Card:

• An ‘Aide memoire’ for ISAF patrol commanders

• Issued by RC Reintegration Cells, by unit or on arrival into theatre (RSOI).

• Distributed across all Regional Commands (RC).

• An ANSF version (different to the ISAF version) distributed down ANSF in Dari and Pashtu.

1. Purpose:

• Offers Guidance to ISAF personnel -‘INFORM’ the local Afghan population.

• Enable ISAF to assist with the ‘FIND’ and identify of opportunities shouldthey encounter Afghan insurgents (or go-betweens) wanting to enter the formalReintegration (APRP) process

2. General. The Commanders Card Offers a broad outline of APRP and stresses that:

• APRP is primarily a GIRoA led programme.

• Provincial Governors and Provincial High Peace Councils (PHPC) are the key players at the Provincial level.

3. Initial Meeting (Contact): Contact could be direct or through a ‘go-

between’.Actions to be taken:

a. Notify the Chain of Comd:

• Name & contact details.

• Why he wants to reintegrate?

• Is this the first contact with ISAF/ANSF?

• If the subject is a ‘go-between’, what is their relationship with Insurgents?

• If a comd then how many fighters are under his comd?

b. On the completion of meeting:• How can ISAF make contact again?

• Inform him that final acceptance into the formal process is a GIRoA decision.

4.Follow Up Action.

• Reported IMMEDIATLY as an ‘Incident’ to your Ops Room.

• Your HQ or TF will coordinate the next steps.

5. Do Not:

• Do Not offer an ISAF guarantee of amnesty or immunity from GIRoA prosecution.

• Do Not tell insurgent /go-between whether the insurgent is on an ISAF or GIRoA Targeting List.

• Do Not offer money or development aid directly to insurgents to stop fighting.

7. Key Points: (Important):

• APRP acknowledges ‘Honour & Dignity’ and is NEVER profiled as ‘Surrender’.

• Reintegrating fighters can keep a personal weapon for self defence.

• Only GIRoA can offer Amnesty.• APRP benefits peaceful communities

not just the communities of reintegrating insurgents.

• Often a lengthy period of ‘negotiation’.

• APRP removes Insurgents from the battlefield.

• Insurgents who chose not to join their ‘Afghan brothers’ in the Peace Programme (APRP) will continue to be targeted.

• It is Important that ISAF and AFG Partners Clearly Understand that Kinetic Strike Continues Unabated Alongside Reintegration.

Summary of Tasks

– ‘INFORM’ - inform correctly - use the Commanders Card.

– ‘FIND’ - identify opportunities.

– ‘PROTECT’ - protect reintegration from Taliban revenge attacks.

– ‘SUPPORT’ - support and facilitate the Peace Program (APRP)

AND

Brief Your Mentored ANSF Unit Command Group, Religious and Cultural Affairs Officers (RCA) and ANSF Mullahs Using the Briefs (English, Dari and Pashto) on

the UNCLASS Website Within 2 Weeks of Your Deployment.

We Want To See More Former fighters Joining the Peace Process (APRP).

Remember that Reintegrating Insurgents Can Keep a Personal Weapon (rifle) Once it is Registered with ANP / MoI for Self Protection – the Reintegree Must ‘Survive the Process’.

Useful Links and / Websites The Following can be found at :

• https://ronna-afghan.harmonieweb.org/FRIC

• ISAF Secret main ISAF page - FRIC Portal

ISAF APRP Commanders Cards, ANA & ANP APRP Commanders Cards (Eng Dari & Pashtu) and ISAF Reintegration Handbook (Eng &Dari)

– ISAF CARD (version 6)

– ANSF CARD and translations (version 6) (English, Pashtu and Dari)

– ANSF CARD and translations (version 6) (Pashtu and Dari) pfd

– ISAF Reintegration Handbook (Coy Comd / Bn Staff +) (printable in booklet form when print option selected)

– Reintegration Handbook (Coy Comd / Bn Staff +) – (in Dari Pashtu Sep 11)

– ANSF training briefs (Eng, Dari Pashtu) (ISAF partners can deliver to partnered ANSF units

– ISAF training briefs

Takeaways:• You are to brief your ANSF units (Command Group) on arrival in

Afghanistan about APRP and their role in its implementation.• Understand the leading role of the ANA Religious and Cultural Affairs (RCA)

and Mullahs and include them in Briefings, Training and mentoring..• Know where the briefs are found on the UNCLASS website and copy to disc

before your deploy.• Ensure that your unit has Commands Cards which are obtainable through

RC Reintegration Cell• Stress the nature of the APRP as an ‘Offensive Tool’ to defeat the

Insurgency – it is NOT a dilution of strike and must not compromise ANSF ‘fighting sprit’.

• It is extremely important that all ranks of ANSF understand that Insurgents who choose not to Reintegrate will be pursued, tracked and destroyed.

End state: Insurgents peacefully leaving the fight and returning to their communities with honor— an accelerated peace process

Questions / Discussion