Despite assurances from security officials that all measures are being taken to address the issue, residents of Sholgarah district in northern Balkh province on Thursday drew attention to the growing threat posed by Illegal Armed Groups (IAGs) in the area. Residents claimed they were being terrorized by the bands of armed men and demanded security officials take action against the groups.
Most of Sholgarah's residents rely on agriculture, livestock farming and other small businesses. The residents who spoke out on Thursday consider the havoc wreaked by the IAGs, which reportedly spans from murder to extortion, a major threat to their day-to-day lives. They were also quick to contextualize the problem in the light of the upcoming elections, imploring the government to do something to remedy the situation as soon as possible.
"We want security in the district as the country gets closer to the Presidential elections," said a local Sholgarah resident. "We demand that security institutions focus on the issue seriously."
The Afghan Local Police (ALP) were deployed in the district several months ago and officials have expressed hope that the security situation in the district would be brought under control soon. However, the residents in the area are apprehensive about the capabilities of the ALP, given the continued uninhibited movement of IAGs in the area and the many crimes going unaddressed.
"ALP personnel have been deployed in the district, but security is still very weak," said another Sholgarah resident. "stealing and other crimes have increased."
Meanwhile, the Balkh Police Department (BPD) downplayed security threats in Sholgarah and emphasized the work security personnel were doing to maintain order in the area.
"Sholgarah is a secure district, the enemy does not exist there," said General Muhammad Salim Ehsas, referring to the lack of insurgents in the area. "But, we confirm the presence of Illegal Armed Groups, we struggle day and night to address the problem."
Just as local residents' security concerns have mounted, there has been reportedly a concomitant rise in poppy cultivation in the district. The proliferation of the drug trade in the district is not likely to help improve the rule of law in Sholgarah, and marks a digression from six years ago when Balkh province was declared "poppy free."
IAGs have proven to be a growing malady throughout Afghanistan. While much of the focus of security officials is understandably fixated on combating the Taliban insurgency, IAGs have proliferated and proven an increasingly troublesome source of violence and criminal activity in communities around the country.
Last month, residents from the Khas district of Uruzgan province and civil society members gathered in Kabul to call attention to the activities of Illegal Armed Groups (IAGs).
They accused Hakim Shojaee, the commander of an IAG in Uruzgan, of killing, torturing and extorting money from the locals, and claimed that he has received support from government officials.