11 Mar. 2004

Progress on securing heavy weapons in Afghanistan News 10/03/2004 - ISAF 16th Armoured Brigade heavy weapons relocated to Baghe Dauod cantonment site Key links International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) A ceremony held near Kabul on 11 March marked the successful cantonment of one-quarter of all heavy weapons in the capital city to a special, government-controlled storage site. The cantonment programme is one of three initiatives to secure the vast number of weapons in the hands of the various factions: the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration process, the cantonment of heavy weapons from the Panjshir Valley and the cantonment of heavy weapons in Kabul. Preparing for elections Under the programme, heavy weapons - tanks, artillery pieces, surface-to-surface missile systems, and rocket launching systems – belonging to the various militias are moved to special storage sites. The storage sites operate under a “dual key” system, which guarantees that none of the stored equipment can be taken from the cantonment site without the agreement of both the Ministry of Defence and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The programme is an initiative of the Afghanistan Ministry of Defence. ISAF supports and facilitates the movement of the weapons into cantonment sites. It is the intention of the Ministry of Defence to accelerate the process so that all heavy weapons in Kabul are cantoned prior to the upcoming elections. Future phases of the heavy weapons cantonment programme are expected to be announced shortly.