JezK

Edit File: 1617800434.M596139P1841922.mocha3025.mochahost.com,S=20483,W=20858:2,S

Envelope-to: logistic.manager@jack.ngo
Delivery-date: Wed, 07 Apr 2021 09:00:34 -0400
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Date: Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:59:48 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_NORTH_SA <sa.north@afg.ngosafety.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Message-ID: <m7kNRg7QQT6ThVbtCH4WUw@geopod-ismtpd-4-0>
Subject: INSO REPORT =?UTF-8?B?4oCTIEFGRyDigJM=?= BALKH: Abduction of NGO
 Staff Members During Project Implementation
To: Reza Jamal <logistic.manager@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;">
								Afghanistan, Balkh Province, Dawlatabad District, <a href=3D"https:=
//goo.gl/maps/i3MNruMzmKvwLmLn9">Hashim Abad Afghaniya</a> Area								</di=
v>
							</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;">
								Abduction of NGO Staff Members During Project Implementation							=
	</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;">
								11/02/2021 11:00								</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;">At the above time and location,=
 OAG members abducted six NGO staff members, two NGO-contracted drivers, an=
d two other NGO-affiliated contractors, as well as a community representati=
ve, during project implementation. OAG members gradually released the abduc=
tees over the course of a week, through the mediation of the community elde=
rs, with the last abductee released on 18 February.</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;">OAG members put forward multipl=
e reasons for the abduction. Among those, the most likely reason was the la=
ck of communication regarding the NGO activity between the IEA District Sha=
dow Governor (DSG) and the IEA district commission for NGOs and companies. =
This became evident during the mediation, and the local IEA members who abd=
ucted the NGO staff repeatedly insisted that they were not informed of any =
such activity, despite the NGO having a well-established channel of communi=
cation with the local community. Concerns regarding the beneficiary identif=
ication and selection criteria were also at the forefront of IEA criticism =
which, however, was likely meant to influence programmatic decision-making,=
 rather than a reaction to actual wrongdoing on behalf of the NGO. Furtherm=
ore, OAG members questioned the NGO project for its link with the GOA which=
 was clarified otherwise during the mediation.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Dawlatabad District is predominantly un=
der OAG control while ANSF control the district administrational centre. Gi=
ven that NGOs often negotiate access through the local community regarding =
activities in areas under IEA control, such misunderstandings occur at time=
s. However, it is not uncommon for the IEA hierarchy to claim a lack of kno=
wledge of an NGO activity and use this as the basis to exert control over N=
GO activities in an area under IEA influence. In 2020, INSO recorded five O=
AG abductions with similar hallmarks in addition to two incidents so far in=
 2021 in the Northern Region, despite underreporting.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Furthermore, the IEA has lately been ve=
ry vocal in its opposition to the implementation of projects that they clai=
m are affiliated with or authorised by the GOA, including COVID-19 and CDC =
projects. It is highly likely that the IEA is seeking to prevent these prog=
rams as the IEA perceives them as an extension of GOA authority, rather tha=
n because of a particular criticism regarding the content of these programs=
. In the case of the title incident, NGO activity in question did not fall =
under any of the above. That said, OAG members reportedly put a particular =
focus on these topics during the course of negotiations, demonstrating the =
IEA members&rsquo; blanket approach to NGO activities that the IEA perceive=
s as a threat to its influence or control.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><br />Interestingly, the IEA have never=
 publicly opposed COVID-19 awareness projects and, on the contrary, repeate=
dly expressed support for any activity to curb the spread of the virus in e=
arly 2020. Nevertheless, anecdotal reports indicate that the local percepti=
on among the rural population and the mullahs in the IEA-controlled areas i=
s characterised by a high degree of scepticism, with the pandemic often dee=
med as western propaganda. As yet, there has been no public statement from =
IEA regarding the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaign.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><br />The increased IEA pressure on NGO=
s is demonstrated in OAG interventions to regulate and influence NGO activi=
ties country-wide in an increasing frequency in the first two months of 202=
1, compared to the entirety of 2020. The IEA&rsquo;s effort to exert contro=
l over NGO activities is evident also in the title incident, taking into ac=
count the context of increased IEA legitimacy through its engagement with t=
he US and the wider international community. Such attempts have been increa=
singly visible in the past year in the OAG demands to influence beneficiary=
 identification or the hiring practices of NGOs, as well as repeated demand=
s to NGOs to register with the IEA or share administrational information re=
garding the projects. Indeed, concerns regarding the beneficiary identifica=
tion and selection criteria were also at the forefront of IEA criticism in =
the title incident.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Clear and repeated communication with a=
ll stakeholders at the local level appears to be the only way through negot=
iating access, which cannot be compromised for the sake of prompt progress =
in such access negotiations. The title incident demonstrates that an approa=
ch to access negotiation process is dependent on many factors, local dynami=
cs above all, and the access negotiation practices working effectively in s=
ome areas may not be sufficient or may immediately fail in others.<br /><br=
 /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Furthermore, the legal ambiguity regard=
ing NGOs&rsquo; engagement with non-state armed actors is a dilemma that ad=
ds up to the challenges of NGOs trying to provide assistance to the vulnera=
ble communities living in OAG-controlled areas. In the face of varying degr=
ees of donor flexibility depending on their country&rsquo;s legislation and=
 foreign policy, NGOs at times find themselves in a legal minefield, most o=
ften when dealing with issues such as OAG demands of taxation, etc., that f=
all within the legislative framework of countering the financing of terrori=
sm. <br /><br />The highly politicised nature of service provision and the =
increasing IEA legitimacy on the international level not only puts addition=
al pressure on NGOs who are forced to acknowledge such legitimacy (and, the=
refore, are left with very few options) but also prevents a transparent deb=
ate within the NGO community itself. Therefore, clear communication regardi=
ng the operational obstacles and an established mutual understanding of rep=
utational and legal risk-sharing is essential between the NGOs and the dono=
rs.</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;">NGO staff members are advised n=
ot to resist armed men and&mdash;within reason&mdash;comply with their dema=
nds when confronted with potentially violent situations. Staff members are =
furthermore advised to attempt de-escalation in any situation that appears =
likely to lead to violence.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGO staff members are recommended to ma=
ke such armed individuals aware of their employment and be able to explain =
the nature of their programming while also emphasising the neutral, imparti=
al, and independent nature of their work.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGO staff and contractors are also enco=
uraged to avoid carrying distinctive signs of affiliation with any party to=
 the conflict, including clothing, flags, and printed or digital material s=
uch as pictures, messages, or contacts on personal and professional phones,=
 as any of these signs could put them and their NGO at risk.<br /><br /></d=
iv>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Furthermore, NGOs are advised to foster=
 strong networks with the community and local governance groups when operat=
ing in insecure areas, and in areas where local staff reside. The ability t=
o interface and communicate effectively with these groups is vital when ass=
essing the ongoing security environment in a given area. Additionally, thes=
e networks play an important role in interfacing with OAGs in instances of =
abduction, as was the case in the title incident.</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;">
								<p>SA North, Jennifer Duncombe</p>
<a href=3D"mailto:sa.northeast@afg.ngosafety.org">sa.north@afg.ngosafety.or=
g</a>								</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/NORTH/R/07042021/#002								</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=3Dlogistic.manager@jack.ngo&list=3DAFG=
_NORTH">UNSUBSCRIBE</a>
							</td>
		</tr>
=09
</table></center><img src=3D"http://url2410.afg.ngosafety.org/wf/open?upn=
=3DBziNSxFmZz5V-2FN7PNJKeCXYxY8fNu8NlOroXZl5gYOEwSfKzMgKPPpDemyqCHh2Mdsk1CG=
z-2B7VNQ-2Ff5nKhDQs92jGVUpD00L-2FMhmO14y7DACE6nXuH33PH7s0yoVp28qWICfhB2-2B6=
fdpHpdf5ZGcwW7oEeqeJdLL4ZjK3wK8qDsEfelGVYOyIAdJJ4yxf7CFWPT3Jp1ewVf7g2cWt504=
a33dsqHLXNThmFWqb0Ypre873-2BcJpEEanFt5yoANu9F1" alt=3D"" width=3D"1" height=
=3D"1" border=3D"0" style=3D"height:1px !important;width:1px !important;bor=
der-width:0 !important;margin-top:0 !important;margin-bottom:0 !important;m=
argin-right:0 !important;margin-left:0 !important;padding-top:0 !important;=
padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-right:0 !important;padding-left:0 !impo=
rtant;"/></body></html>