JezK

Edit File: 1588089236.M274292P3622875.mocha3025.mochahost.com,S=18336,W=18671:2,S

Envelope-to: hafiz@jack.ngo
Delivery-date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 11:53:56 -0400
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:53:14 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_NORTHEAST_SA <sa.northeast@afg.ngosafety.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Message-ID: <DqqS8jx0SEiqIUoPRC2U0Q@ismtpd0002p1lon1.sendgrid.net>
Subject: INSO REPORT =?UTF-8?B?4oCTIEFGRyDigJM=?= KUNDUZ: AOG Threat to Two
 NGO Staff Members
To: Hafizullah <hafiz@jack.ngo>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN' 'http://www.w3.org=
/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd'><html><body><head><meta name=3D'viewport'=
 content=3D'initial-scale=3D1.0'><title>Alert Update</title></head><body><c=
enter><table width=3D"580" style=3D" width: 580px;  border:1px solid #C1C2C=
4; margin: 0 auto; background: #fff; text-align: center; border-collapse: c=
ollapse;" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0">
=09
		<tr>
			<td style=3D"width: 100%; height: 27px; background-color: #5376b6; font-=
size: 7.5pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; color: white; vertical-align=
: middle; text-align: center;">
				This report is for the exclusive use of INSO partners and must not be s=
hared outside your organisation			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style=3D"text-align: left;">
				<table style=3D"width: 100%;" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0">
				=09
						<tr>
							<td style=3D"width: 38%;">
								<img src=3D"https://partners.ngosafety.org/assets/img/report.png"/>
							</td>
							<td style=3D"width: 62%">
								<div>
									<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>
								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
				=09
				</table>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style=3D"text-align: justify;">
				<table style=3D"width: 100%; border-top: 1px solid #C1C2C4;" cellpaddin=
g=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0">
				=09
												<tr>
							<td width=3D"23%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"font-weight: bold; width:2=
3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">LOCATION=
</div>
							</td>
							<td width=3D"63%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"width:63.58%; font-size: 1=
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;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Afghanistan, Kunduz Province, K=
unduz City, PD 4, <a href=3D"https://goo.gl/maps/RafWaWERXMmnyy6L6">Sar-e D=
awra</a> Area</div>								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
												<tr>
							<td width=3D"23%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"font-weight: bold; width:2=
3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INCIDENT=
 TYPE</div>
							</td>
							<td width=3D"63%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"width:63.58%; font-size: 1=
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;">
								AOG Threat to Two NGO Staff Members								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
												<tr>
							<td width=3D"23%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"font-weight: bold; width:2=
3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">DATE & T=
IME</div>
							</td>
							<td width=3D"63%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"width:63.58%; font-size: 1=
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;">
								07/04/2020 10:00								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
												<tr>
							<td width=3D"23%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"font-weight: bold; width:2=
3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INFORMAT=
ION</div>
							</td>
							<td width=3D"63%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"width:63.58%; font-size: 1=
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;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">On 07 April, an AOG member call=
ed an NGO staff member by phone and stated that he was aware that the NGO s=
taff member worked for IMF and his brother&mdash;who was employed with anot=
her NGO&mdash;worked for ANSF, threatening to kill them if they did not res=
ign from their alleged positions with the conflict actors. The NGO staff me=
mber denied the AOG member&rsquo;s accusations, however, the AOG member ref=
used to listen and reiterated his message.<br /><br />The NGO staff member =
reported the incident to the NGO security officer, who advised him to adopt=
 counter-surveillance measures. The next day, on 08 April, the victim asked=
 local contacts for mediation and these contacts were able to verify that t=
he person who made the call was indeed an active AOG member. These same loc=
al contacts were able to confirm that the individual and his brother were b=
oth NGO staff members and they had no professional relationship with confli=
ct actors. The persons mediating the issue confirmed that the AOG member wh=
o had delivered the threats had received false information regarding the pr=
ofile of the two NGO staff members from other sources.<br /><br />Following=
 the mediation of the NGO staff member&rsquo;s local contacts, the AOG memb=
er responsible for the phone call contacted the NGO staff member again to a=
pologise for the misunderstanding. The NGO staff member elected to not info=
rm his brother regarding the threats.</div>								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
												<tr>
							<td width=3D"23%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"font-weight: bold; width:2=
3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ANALYSIS=
</div>
							</td>
							<td width=3D"63%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"width:63.58%; font-size: 1=
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;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">At the time of writing, it rema=
ins unknown who provided the initial false reports regarding the NGO staff =
member and his brother&rsquo;s relationship with conflict actors that resul=
ted in the threats being delivered to the NGO staff member. Given that the =
victim claimed not to have had any recent personal or family disputes at th=
e time of the incident, there would be no reason to believe that the AOG me=
mber received the NGO staff member&rsquo;s contact details from his circle =
of acquaintances.<br /><br />The NGO staff member had posted a number of me=
ssages, pictures, and links that actively endorsed the work of the GOA and =
ANSF on social networks and it remains a possibility that some of these pub=
lic posts may have contributed to a misunderstanding that he maintained an =
active professional relationship with conflict actors. As conflict actors a=
re likely to search personal information about potential targets online, th=
e possibility that the AOG member found information connecting the NGO staf=
f member with ANSF/GOA on the internet cannot be dismissed. At the same tim=
e, it should also be acknowledged that the candidate was identified by a so=
urce by sheer accident, as informant networks often contain poorly sourced =
and only partially vetted information. The relative unreliability of this i=
nformation does not undermine the severity of being perceived as having lin=
ks with conflict actors, as both parties to the conflict have repeatedly re=
sponded to unreliable information to conduct kinetic operations or abductio=
ns.<br /><br />AOG members have mistakenly accused NGO staff members of bei=
ng affiliated with the GOA or ANSF on two more occasions in the Northeaster=
n Region over the past three years&mdash;up to 20 April, with both incident=
s leading to abductions and having taken place in 2020 (see AFGHANISTAN/NOR=
THEAST/R/20032020/#001). On 09 February, two AOG members forced a passing p=
rivate vehicle in which three NGO staff members and four other civilians&md=
ash;two women and two children&mdash;were travelling along the Kunduz-Pul-e=
 Khumri Road. Based on unconfirmed previous reports, the AOG members accuse=
d the three men of having connections with ANSF and abducted the seven civi=
lians. The two women, two minors and one of the NGO staff members were rele=
ased hours later, and local elders managed the release of the two other men=
 the next day. In another incident, on 13 March, AOG members abducted one N=
GO staff member who was having a picnic with other civilians in the Dasht-e=
 Abdan area of Kunduz Regional Centre, along the Kunduz-Emam Saheb Road, on=
 the accusation that he was affiliated with the government or ANSF. Friends=
 of the victim had apparently used a nickname referring to a GOA position t=
o call the NGO staff member; AOG members nearby either heard this or receiv=
ed reports of this from other people in the area. Following the mediation o=
f the NGO and local elders, the AOG members released the NGO staff member u=
nharmed on 17 March.<br /><br />The title incident is the first one in whic=
h AOG members have threatened NGO staff by phone in Kunduz Province over th=
e past three years as of INSO records. Nevertheless, it is important to not=
e that such threats are not uncommon in Afghanistan. Indeed, AOG members ha=
ve threatened NGO personnel by phone on four other occasions in the Northea=
st&mdash;all of which occurred in Badakhshan Province&mdash;in the past thr=
ee years. That said, in contrast with the title incident, all four of these=
 incidents were clearly related to NGO programming activities, as it was th=
e case with the incident that is detailed in the following report: AFGHANIS=
TAN/NORTHEAST/R/18072019/#001.<br /><br />The Sar-e Dawra area of PD 4, in =
Kunduz City&mdash;where the two NGO staff members affected by the title inc=
ident have their offices, concentrates most NGO facilities in the provincia=
l capital. This is the reason why Sar-e Dawra reported the title NGO incide=
nt and often reports others occurring in Kunduz. In this context, the risk =
of receiving AOG threats for NGOs located in Sar-e Dawra or their staff mov=
ing around this area is assessed to be the same as in most areas of the cit=
y.</div>								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
												<tr>
							<td width=3D"23%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"font-weight: bold; width:2=
3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ADVICE</=
div>
							</td>
							<td width=3D"63%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"width:63.58%; font-size: 1=
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;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs are advised to always cons=
ider the risk posed by threats given by conflict or criminal actors against=
 their office or their staff. Likewise, NGOs are further advised to remind =
staff that the NGO security focal points should be informed regarding activ=
e threats that have been delivered to NGO staff members and to emphasize th=
at they will provide assistance to the greatest extent possible to these th=
reats. In this regard, NGOs are also advised to build a network of local co=
ntacts which could help them resolve such issues, including instances of in=
timidation or abductions.<br /><br />NGO staff members are recommended to a=
ssess the security environment by engaging with their relatives, friends, a=
nd the community in general, and identify potential threats to their safety=
. This process would help them understand any potential opposition or misun=
derstanding regarding their work. Furthermore, NGO personnel are encouraged=
 to inform of such threats to other colleagues being affected, particularly=
, when the risk is considered to be high.<br /><br />Lastly, NGOs are advis=
ed to remind their staff about the neutral, impartial, and independent natu=
re of the humanitarian work. In this respect, NGO staff members are encoura=
ged to avoid carrying any distinctive sign of affiliation with any party to=
 the conflict, including clothing, printed or digital material such as pict=
ures, messages or contacts on personal and professional phones, as this cou=
ld put them and their NGO at risk. Moreover, NGO personnel should consider =
managing their public profile at all times, including on social media, and =
limit strong political messages or signs of affiliation with parties to the=
 conflict.</div>								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
												<tr>
							<td width=3D"23%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"font-weight: bold; width:2=
3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ISSUED B=
Y</div>
							</td>
							<td width=3D"63%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"width:63.58%; font-size: 1=
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;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">SA Northeast, Rub&eacute;n Rive=
ro<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><a href=3D"mailto:sa.northeast@afg.ngos=
afety.org">sa.northeast@afg.ngosafety.org</a></div>								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
												<tr>
							<td width=3D"23%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"font-weight: bold; width:2=
3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INSO SER=
IAL #</div>
							</td>
							<td width=3D"63%" valign=3D"top" style=3D"width:63.58%; font-size: 1=
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;">
								AFGHANISTAN/NORTHEAST/R/28042020/#001								</div>
							</td>
						</tr>
										=09
				</table>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style=3D"width: 100%; border:1px solid #C1C2C4; background-color:#53=
76b6; padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; height:63px; font-size:7.5pt; font-family:'A=
rial', sans-serif; color:white; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;=
">
				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>
					<a style=3D"color: #ddd; margin-top: 2px;" href=3D"https://partners.ng=
osafety.org//tasks/unsubscribe?email=3Dhafiz@jack.ngo&list=3DAFG_NORTHEAST"=
>UNSUBSCRIBE</a>
							</td>
		</tr>
=09
</table></center><img src=3D"http://em1.listserv-ngosafety.org/wf/open?upn=
=3DS0bCC-2FL70-2BSItTxZIK7l0THH-2FF-2FGr9UaQuTkEwiYbwtplOqt9PKptERTFWg4TE9Q=
UgUu4kDRnR9BGUgvE9PmGLcL5I0yOBUjunZf1ulz9SRfZ8ABahionQ3zhQ3TsYE-2BHIAE7Hyhb=
kWqyRXeoQZ-2FPqShf-2FnqlTNb0dOMm2I22dPdH0OewIMZcL99M3YrVQQzkIMhLQRMnbIDkHAZ=
dPz8HG5SQqvwlD8C7VSxPR1RfpY9WHCTu2K596GSykDsbYyj" alt=3D"" width=3D"1" heig=
ht=3D"1" border=3D"0" style=3D"height:1px !important;width:1px !important;b=
order-width:0 !important;margin-top:0 !important;margin-bottom:0 !important=
;margin-right:0 !important;margin-left:0 !important;padding-top:0 !importan=
t;padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-right:0 !important;padding-left:0 !im=
portant;"/></body></html>