Now I’m in Kandahal to cover the our own stories howAfghanistangoing on in general. On the ground way to here it suppose to be not exactly safe but not too much tension in danger. But of course, I could say just day time driving only. Local police are fighting with Taliban, people so called, in Zabul area just beforeKandahararea. It takes 7-8 hours fromKabultoKandahar, the road is quite good and driving is not so difficult, if your car is 4WD, but some parts are iced.

And much rumor is here, I could not find the incident is true or not.KandaharCityis quite normal(but too dusty). I can see many new statue, bussiness buildings and compounds, even under their constraction. Many new banks are remarkable.

And you can see many schools rehabilitated by Japanese government & JICA. Also there is a park lane on the main road, keeps under constraction. Unfortunately, it has been stopped this work since last year. Not only this project is. Every infrastracture projects in here byJapanhas been stopped and no stuff anymore. Because of security reason. But on the other hand, the projects by ECHO continue without international stuff. They have unique system for monitoring their projects. Othewise people inKandaharare familier to Japanese has done, they are forgotten about it day by day.

I just feel here that the overview is toatlly different from here 5 years ago, but people’s charactor is no different at all.

8th Jan. 2007,

INDEPENDENT PRESS,

Kenji Goto

 

コメント /

1. Tomoko Omura より:2008年1月8日

Happy New Yaer, Goto san. I have just read your website and am surely surprised to know that you’re in Kandahal! I presume you leftJapana few days ago. Do you plan to stay there for a long time? Well, I really wish you a safe journey but that might mean you have nothing to report…mmm. As a petty journalist myself, I wish you’d encounter something exciting there, but nothing dangerous. With best wishes, tmk