The Dutch engagement in Uruzgan – TLO Report 2010

New TLO Report Assessing the Dutch Engagement in Uruzgan (2006-2010)

On 1 August 2010, a four-year Dutch civil-military engagement in Uruzgan came to an end. The Dutch comprehensive ‘3D’ approach emphasized development, diplomacy/governance, and defense/security, and sought to diplomatically use development where possible and to employ force only as necessary. This TLO report assesses the impact of the Dutch approach, supported by Australian and U.S. forces, on the political, economic and security situation in Uruzgan.

The withdrawal of their 1,600 troops raises the question of whether momentum in Uruzgan has been cut short and whether the changes the Dutch introduced will prove to be durable. The continuity of successful momentum in Uruzgan depends on how their successors (Australia and the U.S.) build upon past work and follow-on the Dutch approach.

Using a 2006 TLO assessment conducted at the beginning of the Dutch civil-military mission in Uruzgan as a baseline, this report evaluates the changes that have occurred in Uruzgan over the past four years. It covers the areas of:

• Socio-economic development and reconstruction including agro-economic development, health care, education, media/communication and gender equality;
•  Governance and the rule of law including provincial and district level government, elections, Afghan National Security Forces (ANA/ANP), and the justice sector;
• (In)security and the insurgency including assessment of district level security and government control, road security and an overview of regional dimensions and conflict lines exploited by the insurgency;
• International military actors and the Dutch withdrawal including perception of International Military Forces (Dutch, U.S. and Australians) and the local evaluation of Dutch withdrawal;
• Recommendations for Dutch successors in the areas of development/reconstruction, diplomacy/political engagement, and stabilization/security.

This report is based upon four years of continuous research in the province including a 2009 assessment and 64 interviews conducted between 1 June and July 2010.