PRT JALALABAD - UPDATE ON TANGI RETURNEE SITE

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SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO, SA/A, S/CR, EUR/RPM
NSC FOR HARRIMAN
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76

SENSITIVE, SIPDIS
REL TO NATO/ISAF/AUS/NZ

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV AF ECON
SUBJECT: PRT JALALABAD - UPDATE ON TANGI RETURNEE SITE

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REFTEL: KABUL 4368


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: PRT Officer met with Nangarhar Deputy Governor
and Jalalabad Mayor to press again for a Letter of Intent for land
ownership for the returnees in Tangi. This important step, that has
to happen before any permanent structures can be built or any more
international aid provided, has proved to be a bigger obstacle than
expected. The Deputy Governor promised to prepare a document within
15 days, and the PRT will follow up again. END SUMMARY


2. (SBU) Jalalabad PRT Officer and Civil Affairs Officers met with
Nangarhar Deputy Governor Alam Ishaqzai and Jalalabad Mayor Abdul
Ghafor Pacha on October 30 to again press for a Letter of Intent to
grant land to the returnees in Tangi. As outlined in reftel, the
Tangi resettlement is an outstanding example of what an organized
group of people can do on their own, and their efforts and
initiative serve as an example for what other returnee groups could
accomplish. Since they were forced to leave Pakistan in 2005, they
have established a new community in a barren stretch of land, built
tent cities, organized schools and mosques, and created the
foundation for a well organized community, all with minimal support
from outside organizations.


3. (SBU) The PRT has supported their effort with Humanitarian
Assistance supplies, but neither the PRT nor other international
organizations can provide permanent assistance until the provincial
government provides some kind of formal recognition that they will
grant them land rights, as they have done for the returnees in the
Sheik Misri New Township. The PRT has physically taken the
Governor, Deputy Governor, and former mayor to the site at different
times to impress upon them the excellent example this community
provides and how they have transformed the unwanted barren land into
a thriving, well organized community. We have received repeated
promises that a formal letter of intent will soon be forthcoming
(the latest being a discussion between the Commander and the
Governor's office on September 25 when they promised the letter
within a week.)


4. (SBU) The Deputy Governor and Mayor listed a number of reasons
why they have not issued the letter yet but promised to bring it up
at either the November 2 or November 9 Administrative Meeting, and
have the letter ready by November 10. PRT officials again explained
that the Afghans do not need to resolve all the urban planning
questions, but neither the U.S. nor other international donors could
proceed with fixed structures or substantial assistance until there
was at least a firm statement of intent by Afghan authorities to
allocate the land. For now, they had only to provide written
notification of the intention to allocate the land to the Tangi
community, and that would be enough for donors to proceed.
(Comment: One important reason that they may be dragging their feet
is that these returnees are originally from Kunar Province rather
than Nangarhar. The Deputy governor said that they would need to
specify in the letter that only those returnees already there would
be covered by the letter, or else the province would be flooded with
returnees from all over Afghanistan. The PRT agreed that this was a
reasonable stipulation.)


5. (SBU) Ironically, while in the meeting, the Deputy Governor
received a phone call reporting that a group of Saardi (a sort of
local militia of the Kuchi nomadic people) led by Mullah Malik
Sultan had just arrived in Tangi and claimed that the land belonged
to them, and the returnees needed to leave. The Deputy Governor
asked if the PRT could send Coalition Forces to drive the Saardi
away. The PRT explained that the ANP or ANA should go in first and
try to resolve the issue. We stressed again that this is exactly
the reason that we need them to prepare the Letter of Intent as
quickly as possible. (Note: In the complicated area of Afghan land
disputes, the PRT received reports on October 31 that the new
Subgovernor of Khogyani District, Zalmani Dadek, may be involved
with these disputes over the land, as he has influence and
supporters in Behsud District, where Tangi is located.)


6. (SBU) On October 31, Embassy RefCoord raised the issue in a
meeting with Deputy Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Abdul
Qader Ahadi. The Deputy Minister was unaware of the issue but
offered to look into it. RefCoord offered to provide further
information on the settlement and stressed that the type of
self-reliance exhibited by the returnees represents an example for

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all returnees and should be encouraged.


7. (SBU) Comment: PRT officials will check with provincial
officials at the end of the latest 15-day deadline, and RefCoord
will follow-up with Deputy Minister Qadir Ahadi. Embassy will raise
to a high level if need be. While discouraged by the failure to
live up to repeated promises, PRT is optimistic that with enough
encouragement and interest shown by the PRT and others, the
provincial officials will eventually provide the necessary
documentation.

NEUMANN