Op Kantolo
CANADA’S APPROACH TO SECURITY, GOVERNANCE, RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN KANDAHAR
Canadian representatives attend a shura meeting
in the Afghan village of Deh-e-Bagh in the Dand district
of Kandahar province
As part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) plan to bring more civilian and military resources to the south of Afghanistan, Canada is now able to concentrate its military and civilian efforts in Kandahar province, further supporting Canada’s six priorities and helping the Government of Afghanistan take an increasingly visible and active role in providing a better future for its people.
Operation Kantolo maintains Canada’s commitment to work closely with the Government of Afghanistan to enhance local ownership of governance structures and law and order institutions, as well as the capacity to deliver basic services and stimulate economic growth. The ultimate goal for Canada and the international community remains the same: to leave Afghanistan to Afghans, in a country that is better governed, more peaceful, and more secure.
OPERATION KANTOLO
Operation Kantolo concentrates Canada’s efforts in Kandahar province by focusing on key geographic areas, particularly those where the population density is the highest – such as the areas in and around Kandahar City.
With the arrival of considerable US military and civilian resources in southern Afghanistan in the coming months, Canada took the opportunity to refocus its civilian and military efforts in a more concentrated area and deliver better results against our six priorities and associated benchmarks. The plan was developed in close collaboration with the Government of Afghanistan, with provincial and local Afghan officials, and the international community.
Security
Operation Kantolo includes integrated and fully partnered counter-insurgency security operations by Canadian, Afghan and allied forces, in order to protect local development efforts and provide a more persistent and reliable security presence at the village and district level. . Under this plan, focused security operations are conducted, in conjunction with development and reconstruction efforts, to deliver tangible results to the Afghan people where they live and work.
By focusing its efforts on Kandahar City and its populated approaches, and working collaboratively with our allies in other districts within Kandahar province, Canada can achieve greater effect in stabilizing the populated areas and work towards enabling Afghan solutions, thus contributing to the defeat of the insurgency while earning the trust and confidence of the Afghan people.
Governance, Reconstruction and Development
The Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (KPRT) remains the lead for Canada’s governance, reconstruction and development activities, and the primary link between ISAF and the Afghan community. As additional US civilian resources begin to arrive in Kandahar, we can expect more of them to be housed at the KPRT and to continue coordinating integrated civilian-military efforts on governance, reconstruction and development.
At the same time, Canada will continue to ensure a high level of coordination with our allies, including the US, with multilateral agencies, such as the World Health Organization, World Food Programme, and UNICEF as well as with the provincial government in Kandahar, for example the Governor of Kandahar and the Department of Education, to represent views and concerns on key issues.
For Canada's development activities, this plan means a continuing commitment to Canadian priorities and signature projects. It means a continued focus on community development, where we have seen 65 percent of communities complete small-scale infrastructure projects. Some of Canada’s development and reconstruction programming is province wide. Where projects occur outside of areas of Canadian Forces’ responsibility, Canada will work closely with ISAF partners and the ANSF on security issues.
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On June 23 2009, Canadian representatives Ben Roswell, Deputy Head of Mission, Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, Commander of Joint Task Force Afghanistan, and Ken Lewis, Representative of Canada in Kandahar attended at shura meeting in the Afghan village of Deh-e-Bagh, in Dand district of Kandahar province, with the Governor of Kandahar, Tooryalai Wesa, and the Dand district chief, Ahamadullah Nazak. In a media availability with Canadian and Afghan reporters following the shura, Canadian and Afghan officials further described the work being accomplished through Operation Kantolo. You are invited to listen to the audio file of the media availability or read the transcripts for Ben Rowswell, Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance and Ken Lewis.
- Key Village Approach: Stabilization teams
- Key Village Approach: Introducing collegiality in Dand District
