Farewell party for Dr. Satoshi Nakamura, 5000 people attended

Farewell party for Dr. Satoshi Nakamura 5,000 people Fukuoka Jan 25, 18:21

Last month, a farewell party for Dr. Satoshi Nakamura, who was shot and killed in Afghanistan, was held in his hometown of Fukuoka City, and about 5,000 people were spared.

Dr. Satoshi Nakamura has been dedicated to humanitarian assistance and reconstruction in Afghanistan for many years in Afghanistan as a local representative of the NGO Peshawar Kai in Fukuoka City, but is driving by car in Jalalabad, Eastern Nangarhar Province, last month. Was shot by someone and died.

On the 25th, a farewell party was held at the chapel of Seinan Gakuin University in Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City, and about 5,000 people including survivors and supporters from all over the country attended.

After the silence, Mr. Yu Murakami, Chairman of the Peshawar Society, greeted, "The spirit and soul of Dr. Nakamura is still strongly present in our hearts. We will continue to share his will and support him. Thank you for your patience. "

Also, Nakamura's eldest son, Ken, said, "I want to keep in mind my father's words," Show me not just your mouth but your actions, "and move forward step by step."

After this, a flower offering was held, and those who attended quietly turned flowers to the remains of Mr. Nakamura and the driver who died with Mr. Nakamura.

A 70-year-old man in Shiga Prefecture who worked with Mr. Nakamura on the field more than 10 years ago said, "I prayed peacefully. I want to continue supporting Peshawar society activities in the future." Was.

Response to the Peshawar society after the incident

At the NGO “Peshawar-kai” in Fukuoka City, where Mr. Nakamura served as the local representative, the staff of the secretariat almost every day in charge of local staff by telephone or e-mail with the aim of restarting the irrigation business interrupted by the incident. We are in contact with and confirm the security situation.

In addition to gathering information, efforts are being made to ensure safety.In late last month, the government requested the local government to strengthen security at irrigation canal construction sites, etc. That he was advised on security posture.

However, since there are places in the area where Mr. Nakamura has been active, such as rebels and other influential groups, the Peshawar Society wants to see the situation for a while. Because it is not 100% safe, we will move forward step by step while confirming safety. "

Without identifying the culprit

In the context of the shooting, several local officials speculated that there might be a problem over the water rights of the agricultural irrigation canals that Mr. Nakamura was working on, and that an armed group had told him about Afghanistan. He has shown that he may have committed crimes as a government co-worker, but it remains unclear.

The police in Nangarhar Province are listening to the situation from two local men and analyzing weapons and ammunition seized from their homes. Well, the guys haven't talked about anything related to the case so far.

In addition, apart from these two people, the government's intelligence agency "National Security Agency" has also heard the situation from multiple men, but has not talked about the connection with the case and has not yet identified the culprit. is.

Afghanistan stays safe on worsening security

In Afghanistan, the U.S. launched military operations in 2001, claiming to be hiding Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and destroying the then Taliban administration.

After that, security temporarily recovered, but since the retreat of most international forces, mainly the U.S. military, in 2014, the Taliban has revived as an anti-government insurgent and the extremist organization IS = Islamic State regional organizations are also emerging.

As the Taliban and IS repeat terrorism and raids targeting military facilities and government agencies, many civilians have been victimized.According to the UN, civilians who died from terrorism and raids were told With more than 3,800 people, it has been the worst since 2009 when the survey began.

In addition, the combined number of dead and injured has exceeded 10,000 for the fifth consecutive year.

Of these, the eastern part of Nangarhar, where Mr. Nakamura was shot, was one of the traditionally influential areas of the Taliban. In recent years, IS has established a base in the mountainous region on the border with Pakistan. You.

Under these circumstances, in the state of Nangarhar, aid cases, including foreigners, are constantly being attacked or kidnapped by armed groups.

In Jalalabad, the office of the international NGO "Save the Children" was attacked in January and six people were killed. In addition, a UNDP-UN development vehicle was attacked in the capital city of Kabul last November. The situation continues to be unstoppable due to the deterioration of security, such as the death of one person involved.

The name of the child born was “Nakamura”

Some people in Afghanistan have named Nakamura a child born, saying that Nakamura's achievements must not be forgotten. This is Samiura Maran (39) living in the capital, Kabul.

Mr. Samiura is from the eastern state of Kunar, where Mr. Nakamura worked on irrigation projects such as the construction of agricultural irrigation canals, and has always been appreciative of his activities.

Knowing Nakamura's shooting, he named the boy born Nakamura Muslim Yar two days after the incident, saying, "Don't forget Nakamura's dedication to revitalizing the country." Was.

Nakamura, who was born as the third son of four siblings, said that he wanted to be a person who works hard for Afghanistan, like Mr. Nakamura.

Medical and agricultural support resumed Irrigation business suspended

Mr. Nakamura has established a local clinic and has been providing medical support to local people.

Such medical support had been suspended following the incident, but has been gradually resumed since the middle of last month.

A clinic in Dala Enur, eastern Nangarhar Province, where Afghan doctors and nurses provide medical care almost 24 hours a day.

During this time of winter, there are many children and women complaining of cold symptoms, and many women visit clinics for childbirth. A woman in her twenties who came with her child said, "I'm really happy that the clinic has been reopened. I've been struggling because I haven't received any medicine so far, so it's very helpful."

Mr. Nakamura has also provided agricultural support to stabilize the incomes of local people.

There are people who have inherited Mr. Nakamura's will. This is Ajimal Stanekzei (40).

Having met Nakamura 18 years ago, I was involved in a number of projects as a core member of a local NGO supported by the Peshawar Society.

Starting this month, he resumed providing guidance on crop care and planting sites this month, stating, "I would like to see the activities that were about to stop running again."

Ajimaru's emphasis is now on growing citrus fruits such as oranges.

Mr. Nakamura emphasized that increasing the number of crops he grows in addition to conventional wheat and vegetables will increase the income of local people.

Asimal said, "Dr. Nakamura's dream was to drain the dry land, create employment and eliminate poverty. We will continue to support his will and will continue to support him." .

However, resumption of the irrigation business has not started in earnest, such as the construction of agricultural irrigation canals, which was Nakamura's main pillar.

Mr. Nakamura had set a goal of increasing the productivity of agriculture by providing a stable supply of water through irrigation canals.

However, the business was interrupted by the shooting incident. Large machinery and trucks are left behind at irrigation canal construction sites.

This month, relatively small-scale construction work, such as revetment work, was partially resumed, but major construction work, such as the construction of irrigation canals, has not been undertaken.

The biggest concern is local security. In the areas where Mr. Nakamura and his colleagues have been active, the Taliban and IS have a strong influence, making it difficult to determine safety.

A man in his 50s living near the site said, "I'm sorry that the business was interrupted. I hope the project will be resumed."

Mr. Ajmal said, "Our biggest concern is the security situation. It is particularly bad in the state of Nangarhar. We will proceed carefully with the situation."