Mohammad Golab Mangal
Encyclopedia
Mohammad Gulab Mangal (b. 1958), also as Golab Mangal or Gulabuddin Mangal is the current governor of Helmand Province
, Afghanistan
, and the former governor of Laghman
and Paktika province
s. He also served as head of the Committee that drafted Afghanistan's most recent Constitution. Mangal is considered an effective governor by both diplomats and military officials in Afghanistan.
in Afghanistan, and belongs to the Mangal
ethnic Pashtun
tribe
. He has a degree in literature from Kabul University
.
A former member of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, Mangal served as a colonel in the Afghan army, and worked in the Ministries of Interior and Defence in the late 1970s, and later joined the insurrection fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
. After the American led invasion in 2001, he was appointed a Regional Coordinator of the Constitutional Loya Jirga
in Paktia.
Mangal served as governor of Paktika Province from March 2004 until March 2006, and then as governor of Laghman Province. On March 22, 2008, he was made the governor of Helmand Province, while former Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal
replaced him in Laghman.
When appointed governor of Helmand, he was said to be “one of the most accomplished governors to have served Afghanistan since 2001”. The Washington Post
attributes Mangal′s popularity in Helmand to his appointing competent district leaders and focusing on delivering basic services to the population, who also regard him as willing to stand up to the corrupt government in Kabul. Further, Mangal, whom the New York Times calls “ardently anti-opium”, succeeded in cutting back opium cultivation in Helmand by 33 percent in 2009. Mangal's subsidised wheat seed programme, giving an alternative to poppy crops, is reported to have reached 40,000 farmers.
In October 2006, Mangal′s convoy was struck by a bomb attack east of Kabul, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility, narrowly missing him, killing one provincial official.
In May 2008, while flying into Musa Qala
with a British escort to dedicate a new mosque
, the CH-47 Chinook
helicopter in which he was flying was hit by rocket fire.
In February 2009, two U.S. soldiers who were part of a convoy of coalition troops accompanying Mangal to a village where he intended to talk to residents about alternatives to opium farming were killed along with three Afghans, including a police official, while trying to disable a roadside bomb.
In April 2010, three Italian citizens and six Afghans who worked at a hospital run by the Italian charity Emergency
in the capital of Helmand Province, Lashkar Gah were detained, suspected of having planned suicide attacks. According to Mangal, he was the target of the planned attacks that would have killed many more people as well. Afghan authorities claimed the detainees later confessed, but the Taliban denied hiring any foreign aid workers, and they were later released without charges. The hospital staff had become unpopular with local officials, as they had a reputation for treating wounded Taliban fighters.
cables released in 2010, Mangal was cited as one of the officials in Afghanistan who criticised the British. According to U.S. cables of January 2009, Mangal accused the British of doing too little to interact with the local community, telling a U.S. team led by Vice-President Joe Biden
that he did not “have anything against them (the British) but they must leave their bases and engage with the people.” As reported by the New York Times, the Wikileaks cables confirm that Mangal is considered an effective governor by foreign diplomats, and that he only kept his job as governor in Helmand Province thanks to “a concerted effort by the British, backed up by NATO allies”, when President Hamid Karzai
wanted to replace him with a “tribal power broker with unsavory connections”.
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and the former governor of Laghman
Laghman
Laghman can refer to:* Laghman Province in Afghanistan* Laghman, a place in Jowzjan Province, Afghanistan* Lamian and variants thereof as soup...
and Paktika province
Paktika Province
Paktika is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the south-east of the country. Most of the population is Pashtun. Its capital is Sharan.-Political and military situation:...
s. He also served as head of the Committee that drafted Afghanistan's most recent Constitution. Mangal is considered an effective governor by both diplomats and military officials in Afghanistan.
Life
Mangal was born in Gardez, Paktia ProvincePaktia Province
Paktia , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the east of the country. Its capital is Gardez. The population is predominantly Pashtun.- History:...
in Afghanistan, and belongs to the Mangal
Mangal (tribe)
The Mangal are one of the largest and perhaps the most powerful and influential Pashtun tribes, residing in Southeastern Paktia and adjacent Khost provinces of Afghanistan The Mangals are known for their independent nature, and have a long history of resisting British forces, central and provincial...
ethnic Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
tribe
Pashtun tribes
The Pashtun people are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and the second largest in Pakistan. Pashtun, tribes are divided into four supertribal confederacies: the Arbanee , Betanee , Gharghasht, and Karlanee .Traditionally, according to folklore, all Pashtuns are said to have descended, at...
. He has a degree in literature from Kabul University
Kabul University
Kabul University is located in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. It was founded in 1931 but officially opened for classes in 1932. Kabul University is currently attended by approximately 7,000 students, of which 1,700 are women. As of 2008, Hamidullah Amin is the chancellor of the university...
.
A former member of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, Mangal served as a colonel in the Afghan army, and worked in the Ministries of Interior and Defence in the late 1970s, and later joined the insurrection fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
. After the American led invasion in 2001, he was appointed a Regional Coordinator of the Constitutional Loya Jirga
Loya jirga
A loya jirga is a type of jirga regarded as "grand assembly," a phrase in the Pashto language meaning "grand council." A loya jirga is a mass meeting usually prepared for major events such as choosing a new king, adopting a constitution, or discussing important national political or emergency...
in Paktia.
Mangal served as governor of Paktika Province from March 2004 until March 2006, and then as governor of Laghman Province. On March 22, 2008, he was made the governor of Helmand Province, while former Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal
Lutfullah Mashal
Lutfullah Mashal is the current Governor of Laghman Province, Afghanistan. He is a politician, poet and a writer.-Biography:Lutfullah was born in 1971 in the Shah Shaheed area of Kabul city...
replaced him in Laghman.
When appointed governor of Helmand, he was said to be “one of the most accomplished governors to have served Afghanistan since 2001”. The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
attributes Mangal′s popularity in Helmand to his appointing competent district leaders and focusing on delivering basic services to the population, who also regard him as willing to stand up to the corrupt government in Kabul. Further, Mangal, whom the New York Times calls “ardently anti-opium”, succeeded in cutting back opium cultivation in Helmand by 33 percent in 2009. Mangal's subsidised wheat seed programme, giving an alternative to poppy crops, is reported to have reached 40,000 farmers.
Attempts on his life
According to the New York Times, Mangal has faced at least four attempts on his life. The British tabloid the Sun reports that Mangal, whose son has been granted asylum in the UK, has survived more than a dozen assassination attempts and “lives in a heavily-fortified compound, lined with razor wire and blast-proof walls”, protected by British troops, and “goes out in disguise, shadowed by 15 bodyguards”.In October 2006, Mangal′s convoy was struck by a bomb attack east of Kabul, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility, narrowly missing him, killing one provincial official.
In May 2008, while flying into Musa Qala
Musa Qala
Musa Qala is a town and the district center of Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, at and at 1043 m altitude in the valley of Musa Qala River in the central western part of the district. Its population has been reported in the British press to be both 2,000 and 20,000...
with a British escort to dedicate a new mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, the CH-47 Chinook
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
helicopter in which he was flying was hit by rocket fire.
In February 2009, two U.S. soldiers who were part of a convoy of coalition troops accompanying Mangal to a village where he intended to talk to residents about alternatives to opium farming were killed along with three Afghans, including a police official, while trying to disable a roadside bomb.
In April 2010, three Italian citizens and six Afghans who worked at a hospital run by the Italian charity Emergency
Emergency (NGO)
Emergency is a humanitarian NGO that provides emergency medical treatment to civilian victims of war, especially in relation to landmines. It was founded by war surgeon Gino Strada in 1994 in Milan ....
in the capital of Helmand Province, Lashkar Gah were detained, suspected of having planned suicide attacks. According to Mangal, he was the target of the planned attacks that would have killed many more people as well. Afghan authorities claimed the detainees later confessed, but the Taliban denied hiring any foreign aid workers, and they were later released without charges. The hospital staff had become unpopular with local officials, as they had a reputation for treating wounded Taliban fighters.
Wikileaks cables
In the WikileaksWikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
cables released in 2010, Mangal was cited as one of the officials in Afghanistan who criticised the British. According to U.S. cables of January 2009, Mangal accused the British of doing too little to interact with the local community, telling a U.S. team led by Vice-President Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
that he did not “have anything against them (the British) but they must leave their bases and engage with the people.” As reported by the New York Times, the Wikileaks cables confirm that Mangal is considered an effective governor by foreign diplomats, and that he only kept his job as governor in Helmand Province thanks to “a concerted effort by the British, backed up by NATO allies”, when President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
wanted to replace him with a “tribal power broker with unsavory connections”.