[lbo-talk] 10 pm curfew for UN staff in Kabul

uvj at vsnl.com uvj at vsnl.com
Fri Dec 5 09:38:50 PST 2003


THE TIMES OF INDIA

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2003

10 pm curfew for UN staff in Kabul

AP

KABUL , ( Afghanistan ): The United Nations has imposed a 10 pm curfew on its staff in the Afghan Capital after an armed robbery of diners at a Chinese restaurant a week ago, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

No one was hurt when armed men forced four or five UN staff and other diners to hand over cash and valuables at the Shang Hai restaurant in Kabul on November 22. But the incident has heightened tension as city authorities prepare for the arrival of hundreds of delegates from across Afghanistan for a meeting this month to ratify a new constitution.

"It's a precaution that we hope will only be for a short period," UN spokesman David Singh said. "We're erring on the side of caution." The United Nations already had a midnight curfew for its staff, which was brought forward to 10 pm from last Thursday.

Crime is adding to security concerns sparked last month by the killing of a French UN staffer in Ghazni city, blamed on Taliban insurgents and an explosion at an upscale Kabul hotel that shattered windows but caused no injuries.

Also last month, an Indian telecommunications engineer was fatally shot by unidentified assailants in the Kabul guest house where he was staying. The UN refugee agency pulled foreign workers out of the south and east of the country after French woman Bettina Goislard became the United Nations' first international worker to be killed since the fall of the Taliban two years ago. The world body has since been reviewing security for all its operations in Afghanistan .

The Capital, which is patrolled by more than 5,000 mainly Canadian and German peacekeepers has been relatively peaceful. But some aid organizations have warned staff about the risk of attacks on new restaurants which have sprung up to cater mainly for foreigners. The restaurants charge in dollars or euros at prices far beyond the reach of ordinary Afghans, and Afghan police say some residents complain about drinking of alcohol and "immoral acts" at the establishments.

The restaurants are also taking precautions. One European establishment, with one of the city's few bars and a karaoke machine, said Monday it was introducing vehicle checks and dimming the lights to lower its profile for fear of attacks.

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