The urgency of a diplomatic presence

Sweden opens an embassy in beleaguered Afghanistan, a positive move towards support for the democratisation and peace-creation initiatives in that country. This symbolises the Swedish commitment in peacekeeping operations far away from its Nordic borders, writes Dagens Nyheter today. Sweden is one of forty countries that contributed soldiers to the peacekeeping effort.

The NATO-led initiative consists of 52,000 men and women working under the Isaf or International Security Assistance Force, under a direct mandate from the UN, to help Afghanistan President Hamid Karzais' western-friendly government to uphold and maintain security in the country. At present, there are 375 Swedish soldiers participating in the peacekeeping operations based in Camp Northern Lights in Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.

Last Thursday, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt visited Afghanistan and the Camp Northern Light to see the actual condition of the Swedish soldiers and mostly to meet with the Afghan leaders. He said that "the Swedish soldiers are making an importance contribution for security in the area, and that they are very professional."

The Swedish aid to Afghanistan is around 400 million Swedish crowns, channeled mainly through international organs and help organisations. One-third is reserved for the northern part of the country. The aid money is earmarked for education, improvement of women's position and infrastructure work.

Seven years after the United States put a stop to the Islamic tyrannical leadership, the number of Taliban-directed attacks have increased, claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians. Foreign aid workers have been kidnapped and murdered in what appears to be a well-designed attempt to terrorise humanitarian workers and help organisations. The Talibans have succeeded to take over the southern and eastern parts of the country. At the same time that the peacekeeping soldiers protect the local population, they must also work to reduce the local support for the Talibans. It raises a question on why some local people still support the Islamic extremists.

The opening of a Swedish Embassy in Kabul is a positive development even if the security situation is far from satisfactory. The diplomatic move has sent the right signal to the world, that an international community investing both economically and emotionally in Afghanistan's young democracy is not giving up. (With translations from Dagens Nyheter, 2 Nov. 2008)