New Zealand troops leaving Afghanistan from May
New Zealand has announced that it will withdraw its last remaining troops from Afghanistan by May, concluding a 20-year deployment that was the country’s longest-running one.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday that Afghanistan’s internal peace process represented the best prospect for an enduring political solution in the troubled country; meaning the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was no longer required.
“After 20 years of an NZDF presence in Afghanistan; it is now time to conclude our deployment,” she said in a statement.
“The deployments to Afghanistan have been one of the longest-running in our history”; New Zealand had deployed more than 3,500 defense; and other agency personnel to the country since the US-led invasion in 2001.
The number of forces deployed has been steadily reduced in recent years. It currently has six personnel remaining; three with the Afghanistan National Army Officer Academy and three deployed to the NATO Resolute Support Mission Headquarters.
Ardern’s statement said the decision to end the deployment had been discussed with “key partners”.
New Zealand’s continue to support the Afghan peace efforts
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said that despite New Zealand’s withdrawal, Auckland will continue to support the Afghan peace efforts.
“New Zealand will continue to be supportive of the Afghan Government and its people in the years to come; including as they work through the intra-Afghan peace process in an effort to resolve the decades-long conflict.”
A New Zealand newspaper also quoted Defence Minister Peeni Henare as saying that New Zealand troops had helped create the current conditions in the country.
“We’ve supported regional security, and helped to improve the lives of the people of Afghanistan, particularly in Bamiyan Province.
“Another important element of New Zealand’s support for Afghanistan has been our contribution to training and mentoring a new generation of officers in the Afghanistan Army”; New Zealand’s deployment in the war-torn country was not without controversy.
