Germany calls for extension of UN mission in Afghanistan

[News_Editor]

Germany calls for extension of UN mission in Afghanistan

2011-03-17 23:53:36 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- Germany on Thursday called for the UN Security Council to extend the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) by a further 12 months in order to empower the Kabul government, German DPA news agency reported.

The UN Security Council was scheduled to meet Thursday on Afghanistan ahead of the expected renewal of the UNAMA mandate which expires on 23 March. The Government of Afghanistan has written to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon requesting a renewed extension of the political mission's mandate.

German UN Ambassador Peter Wittig said the council was united behind Kabul and that negotiations for a new mandate were well underway.

"It is the quality of the cooperation between the UN and the people of Afghanistan that will ultimately decide upon our success," Wittig said.

"Given what we have achieved and invested, my delegation is convinced that we have every reason to continue to work together for a prosperous and secure Afghanistan," he added.

The new mandate for the UNAMA would run until March 2012. UNAMA is a political mission first mandated by the UN Security Council on 28 March 2002, with an annual renewal of the mandate since that time. As of 31 December 2010, UNAMA personnel levels are: 370 international civilians, 1,603 local civilians, 12 military observers, 4 police, and 56 UN volunteers.

In mid-January, the German Cabinet voted in favor of extending its military mission in Afghanistan by one year before beginning withdrawal at the end of 2011. The cabinet voted to continue its mission that includes over 5,000 troops along with the record-high operational costs of €1.5 billion ($1.95 billion) per year.

Germany expects that the last soldiers will be leaving the war-torn nation by 2014 and the withdrawal will begin by the end of the current year. German troops constitute NATO's third-largest troop contingent in Afghanistan.

Until December 2010, 48 countries were involved in the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) operation led by NATO. The combined forces totaled approximately 130,000 soldiers. The NATO-led operation was designed to provide stability and support reconstruction of the country after the U.S. invasion.

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