Business community angry in aftermath of riot

”There is nothing but burnt chairs and tables… first they looted everything they could carry and then set fire to the rest of the restaurant,” said owner Mohammad Arif standing in front of a smoke-blackened, windowless building burnt down by demonstrators during Monday’s deadly riot in the Afghan capital Kabul. “This is the result of our investment here,” Arif, who suffered thousands of US dollars damage during the disturbances, told IRIN. The fledgling Kabul business community has raised concerns regarding security following the riot - the worst since the ouster of the hard-line Taliban by US-led coalition forces in late 2001. During the riot, apparently sparked by a road accident involving US troops, demonstrators looted and set fire to several private restaurants, guesthouses and shops. Eight Afghans were killed and over 100 were injured, according to Afghanistan’s interior ministry. The war-ravaged country, which is one of the poorest nations in the world, is recovering from nearly three decades of brutal civil war and internal strife, and insecurity remains a huge problem. “How is it possible to invest here when there is no safety and security for investors?” Ehsanullah Bayat, owner of a private TV channel Ariana, said, adding that the TV channel had suffered nearly US $200,000’s worth of damage during the riot. “They set fire to our building and four vehicles and then looted our machinery,” Bayat explained. “There were no police and security forces for nearly three hours. The government is asking foreigners to invest here, but unfortunately it cannot even ensure the safety of its own traders,” Bayat remarked. According to Abdul Jamil Kohistani, head of the criminal department of Kabul police, more than 100 suspects have been detained by the security forces in connection with the widespread looting and torching of private and government property. “The riots demonstrated that our government is too weak and unable to handle such problems. Therefore, more should be done to create a safe environment for the people and traders of our country,” Afzal Habib, general manager of a private Kabul bank, said. Analysts believe that without taking strict measures to ensure security in the country, economic investment will be difficult. They argue that security forces are too small and have called on the government to accelerate the process of building a competent army and police force. “Investment needs a secure environment in the country, [because] without this, no one will invest in the private sector and eventually there won’t be development and jobs for people,” Afghan analyst Habibullah Rafi explained. “In order to bring security and stability to the country, the government should implement crucial reforms, particularly in national security institutions such as the national intelligence department and the interior ministry,” Rafi maintained. The Afghan National Army (ANA) and police were still on high alert Thursday with armoured vehicles on several street corners and at the city’s main intersections. According to Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO), up to 20 premises belonging to United Nations (UN) affiliated offices and NGOs, as well as some 10 private venues such as guesthouses, restaurants and an unknown number of small shops were attacked. “I did not expect that such a serious incident would happen in the capital in such a short time, but unfortunately it occurred and it is a matter of serious concern for people,” Christian Willach, ANSO operations coordinator, told IRIN in Kabul. Tensions have been high in Kabul since the riot, during which UN and foreign diplomatic staff were sent to bunkers. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) evacuated a European Union (EU) compound, which is located near the office of the British humanitarian organisation, CARE international, which was burnt down by rioters. US-led coalition forces said that following an investigation into the road accident that sparked the violence in the capital, they would pay compensation to the victims. “In accordance with appropriate polices, compensation will be paid to those who are entitled,” coalition spokesman Col Thomas Collins said in Kabul on Wednesday. But analysts say that despite billions of dollars from donors pouring to the country, many ordinary Afghans are still mired in poverty and unemployment, which, critics believe, has contributed to widespread frustration against the US-backed government and foreign forces in the country.