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Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 04:52:05 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_DIR <director@afg.ngosafety.org>
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Message-ID: <GGKDdN5hRaaJIlfA5GGDmg@ismtpd0001p1lon1.sendgrid.net>
Subject: INSO REPORT =?UTF-8?B?4oCTIEFGRyDigJM=?= KUNDUZ: Demands of an NGO by
 Alleged AOG Members
To: Hafizullah <hafiz@jack.ngo>

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				This report is for the exclusive use of INSO partners and must not be s=
hared outside your organisation			</td>
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									<div><span style=3D"font-size:24.0pt; font-weight: bold; margin: 0=
; padding: 0; font-family:'Arial', sans-serif; color:#5376b6">&nbsp;&nbsp;R=
EPORT</span></div>
									<div><span style=3D"font-size:10.0pt; font-weight: bold; margin: 0=
; padding: 0; font-family:'Arial', sans-serif; color:#182748">&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ATTENTION RECOMMENDED</span></div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">LOCATION=
</div>
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								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Afghanistan, Kunduz Province, K=
unduz City</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INCIDENT=
 TYPE</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								Demands of an NGO by Alleged AOG Members								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">DATE & T=
IME</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								27/01/2020 16:00								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INFORMAT=
ION</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">An NGO staff member received a =
phone call from an unknown person, who requested to meet the provincial hea=
d of the NGO for Kunduz. The person identified himself as the IEA member re=
sponsible for contacts with NGOs in Kunduz Province. The NGO staff member i=
nformed the caller that the provincial head was outside the province, and n=
o further calls followed.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">On 06 February, an unknown person initi=
ally claiming to be a representative of the provincial Department of Econom=
y visited the NGO office in Kunduz City. He was allowed inside the compound=
 given his claimed affiliation, and directed to the office of a senior staf=
f member of the NGO. However, upon meeting the senior NGO staff member, the=
 man stated that he was an IEA member, and made a call to an alleged superi=
or, understood to be the same person calling on 27 January, thereafter hand=
ing the phone to the NGO staff member. The alleged IEA member on the phone =
demanded that the NGO hire the man visiting the compound and that the NGO c=
ome for a meeting in an IEA-controlled area in Gul Tepa District. Following=
 this, the person left.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The NGO field office informed NGO manag=
ement, and an investigation was launched. Through local contacts, the NGO v=
erified the identity of the alleged IEA members making contact, and determi=
ned that the two persons, although using names of known IEA members in Kund=
uz, were not who they claimed to be. As such, the demands were more likely =
an incident of attempted criminal extortion, and not related to conflict ac=
tors in the province. The NGO has not, at the time of writing, reported the=
 incident to local authorities, and continues to operate normally.</div>			=
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ANALYSIS=
</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Although such incidents often g=
o unreported to INSO, attempts to extort NGOs are understood to be relative=
ly common across multiple regions of the country. Moreover, criminal actors=
 frequently allege to be members of an AOG to add weight to their demands, =
even if the IEA is known to take action against individuals misusing its na=
me for criminal acts. In a previous example from Khost Province in 2018, cr=
iminals, including a staff member of the NGO, used the name of the IEA to t=
ry to extort a large sum of money from the NGO. The criminals then went fur=
ther than in the Kunduz incident mentioned above, and posted threat letters=
 on the gate of the NGO. The direct threats determined the NGO to suspend m=
ost of its operations in the province for several months, even if, upon inv=
estigating the identity of the authors of the threats, the NGO confirmed th=
at they were not part of an AOG. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Nonetheless, even if not the case in th=
e title incident, AOG scrutiny of NGO activities and behaviour has grown, a=
s have demands for specific services, recruitment of AOG-affiliated staff, =
or informal levies. INSO recorded 24 incidents of AOG-authored verbal and w=
ritten intimidation of NGOs in 2019, which is very likely an underestimatio=
n, the majority of which involved requests for services in AOG-controlled a=
nd/or interference in NGO recruitment. These incidents were recorded across=
 the country. Moreover, such pressure is understood to have increased since=
 approximately November 2019, and anecdotal evidence suggests that demands =
more often include informal taxation, registration of the NGOs in question =
with the IEA, or programming adjustments. Such demands have also been made =
of NGOs which do not work in AOG-controlled areas, and have often resulted =
in suspension or relocation of projects, or a reduction in the movement of =
staff.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Regardless of their author, such incide=
nts of intimidation pose a number of risks to NGOs and their staff. Even if=
 threats are not made explicit, an NGO&rsquo;s failure to engage with the i=
ndividual or group making such demands increases the level of risk for staf=
f, and may lead to harassment of staff, abductions, or even killing of staf=
f, as suggested by a recent violent incident in Paktya Province (see AFGHAN=
ISTAN/SOUTHEAST/R/25022020/#001). A relocation of projects may be a solutio=
n in some cases, however, particularly in the case of AOGs, threats have be=
en known to cross district, or even provincial, borders. Moreover, a disrup=
tion or change of programming may complicate the NGO&rsquo;s relationship w=
ith the community it seeks to serve.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">A more subtle source of risk stems from=
 the distance between NGO field offices and country management. Pressure or=
 threats at the field level may not be communicated in a timely manner to c=
ountry management, due to fear of reprisals from the part of the actor exer=
ting pressure, misunderstanding of internal procedures, or a belief that su=
ch incidents should be handled locally and confidentially. This may result =
in compromises at the local level which exceed the NGO&rsquo;s mandate or p=
olicies, and in turn affect the NGO&rsquo;s own reputation as well as the a=
bility of other NGOs to operate in a particular area.</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ADVICE</=
div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs are advised to consider an=
y threat or demand received as serious, regardless of its suspected author.=
 While investigating authorship and, the situation allowing, engaging the a=
ctor in question, NGOs affected by an intimidation incident should consider=
 limiting staff movement or a temporary reduction, suspension, or relocatio=
n of programming, taking care to explain the reasons for the change in prog=
ramming to the community and to maintain its relationships.<br /><br /></di=
v>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">On a related note, when investigating a=
n incident of the above nature, NGOs may consider an internal investigation=
 as well. Given that this may cause additional stress to staff, the NGO sho=
uld do this in a careful manner, explaining that this is a matter of policy=
.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs are further encouraged to establis=
h clear internal reporting mechanisms and lines of communication between co=
untry management and field offices, and to create a climate of trust and su=
pport. NGO policies, mandate, and red lines (for example, not paying levies=
, or, as the case may be, not engaging a particular group directly) should =
be communicated and trained to on a regular basis. &nbsp;<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Finally, an NGO receiving a demand or t=
hreat should coordinate with other NGOs operating in the same area, as this=
 may help with the investigation and resolution of the incident. NGOs are g=
enerally advised to share resources and knowledge, including on lessons lea=
rned and local networks.&nbsp;</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ISSUED B=
Y</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 0 12.5px 0; border-bo=
ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<p>Country Director, Ermina Strutinschi</p>
<a href=3D"mailto:director@afg.ngosafety.org">director@afg.ngosafety.org</a=
>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INSO SER=
IAL #</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								AFGHANISTAN/NORTHEAST/R/27022020/#001								</div>
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				INSO exists to provide dedicated security services to the NGO community=
. As a free service, INSO and its donors or partners, accept no liability w=
hatsoever for claims as may result from the provision or utilisation of the=
se free services. Whilst every effort is made to the verify data, INSO cann=
ot guarantee the accuracy of information provided. Reproduction of INSO inf=
ormation is prohibited.									<br>
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