UK Commandos pave the way for redevelopment in Loy Mandeh Kalay
As people deserted the area, the once bustling bazaar quickly fell into disrepair, putting an end to trade and prosperity. The site of the bazaar was heavily seeded with countless Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to make sure anyone who tried to come back faced being badly injured or killed.
In May this year, Royal Marines from 42 Commando were among 500 British and Afghan forces who took part in a major operation to liberate the area around Loy Mandeh Kalay in Nad-e Ali from the insurgents’ grasp.
After several days of fighting, the village was under the control of coalition forces and safe enough to allow the District Governor to hold a shura for locals to discuss plans to start rebuilding the area to its former glory. One of the first things they wanted to see rebuilt was the bazaar to encourage traders and investment to return.
For the last few months, Royal Marines from 42 Commando have worked with their Afghan and Estonian Army colleagues to help the locals achieve their aim. The site of the bazaar was cleared of all the IEDs during a painstaking clearance operation which was fraught with risk.
Last week, the redevelopment project took a major step forward when a ‘groundbreaking’ ceremony was held by the Mayor of Nad-e Ali at the site of the bazaar.
During his visit, the Mayor revealed the positions of twenty new shops that are to be built in the first stage of work to take place. The units will be occupied by the owners of previous shops which had to be abandoned. They have now returned to the village and immediately registered their claim to their previous shop – showing their determination to rebuild their lives and businesses.
Lieutenant Colonel Ewen Murchison, Commanding Officer 42 Commando attended the ground breaking ceremony. He said: “The journey we have taken to reach this moment has been hard fought, slow and treacherous. The Afghan people are inherently sceptical about promises, having heard so many before. So it is no huge surprise that it has taken several months to convince them that the security here is good enough to allow families to move back and resume their normal life. We have now reached that stage, and the permanent Check Point over-watching the bazaar sends a message to both locals and insurgents that the Government of Afghanistan can deliver security to its people and it is the only option for a prosperous and peaceful future in Afghanistan.”
