Abuses by Afghan forces [ID 1632]

"[...] Afghan forces deployed alongside U.S. forces have been implicated in abuses during military operations. As noted elsewhere in this report, persons arrested by U.S. forces routinely complain about local Afghan forces looting their homes in the wake of U.S. military operations.
An Afghan journalist in Kandahar city told Human Rights Watch in November 2003 that he received several complaints in 2003 from residents in Zabul and Helmand about local forces operating with U.S. troops extorting money from villagers by threatening to tell U.S. forces that local residents are “with the Taliban,” claiming that the villagers will be targeted for arrest by the United States if they fail to pay certain sums of money - typically around 10,000 Pakistani rupees (approximately U.S.$175).
In October 2003, a reporter from the Los Angeles Times documented that local troops from Kandahar, working as guides for U.S. forces, looted homes and beat and tortured civilians during a week-long military operation in Zabul province, which lies directly to the east of Kandahar. Residents showed the journalist two young men who had been beaten by the troops; one described being severely beaten and blacking out, the other was still unconscious days after the attack. According to other residents, U.S. forces did not witness the abuses, but the Afghan troops allegedly stole “cash, jewelry, watches, radios, three motorcycles - even the mud-brick school’s windows and doors” before leaving when U.S. and Afghan troops moved on to other areas. Said one elder: “These people are robbing us, torturing us and beating us . . . . They are also taking innocent people to jail.”
In late October 2003, a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said publicly that Karzai’s office had been receiving information about similar abuses by local troops for more than a year; that Karzai had told U.S. military commanders in Kabul that Afghan militias accompanying U.S. troops were committing abuses; that Karzai had suggested to U.S. commanders they not use Afghan militias in non-combat situations; and that the U.S. actions with local militias were undermining the overall effort to combat terrorism in Afghanistan.[...]"

Brookings Afghanistan Index [ID 24163]

"Tracking Progress and Security in Post-9/11 Afghanistan
The Afghanistan Index is a statistical compilation of economic, public opinion and security data (the majority originating from the U.S. government). This resource will provide updated and historical information on various data, including crime, infrastructure, casualties, unemployment, Afghan security forces and coalition troop strength.
Updated every Monday."

Document(s): Open document

28.10.2008 - Source: Asia Foundation

Survey on public opinion on security, reconstruction, governance (national mood, security, development and economy, local government, justice system, democracy, women and society) ("Afghanistan in 2008: A Survey of the Afghan People") [ID 25159]

Document(s): Open document

06.10.2008 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

UNHCR update on security situation relating to complementary forms of protection ("Afghanistan Security Update Relating to Complementary Forms of Protection") [ID 25049]

"In the context of Afghanistan, UNHCR advocates for complementary forms of protection being considered for persons originating from areas where any or several of the following features have been reported or observed within the past months:

o Systematic acts of intimidation, involving arbitrary killings, abductions and other threats to life, security and liberty, by anti-government elements and by regional warlords, militia commanders and criminal groups. UNHCR considers that Afghans should not be expected to travel through unsafe areas to reach their final destination in view of the increased insecurity even on main arterial routes.
o Attacks by anti-government elements, including foreign fighters inter alia through the increased and consistent use of asymmetric tactics (IED on the roads, missile attacks, bombs and suicide bomb attacks), attacks on “soft targets” such as schools and teachers, religious figures, health community (health centres and staff) and aid workers;
o Military operation in places where the AGE have been reported or have established a known presence;
o Religious and tribal conflicts, conflicts over the use of pasture land and inadequate responses by the central government to address violence and protect civilians.
o Illegal land occupation and confiscation with limited possibilities for redress;"

Document(s): Open document

01.08.2008 - Source: Guardian

According to aid agencies, parts of country are 'too dangerous to operate in' as number of monthly attacks reaches seven-year high; 19 aid workers killed in 2008; 569 Taliban attacks in June 2008 ("Afghanistan aid agencies hampered by growth in violence") [ID 24217]

Document(s): Open document

01.08.2008 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

According to a network of NGOs, civilians are increasingly being killed, displaced and harmed in the intensifying armed conflict in Afghanistan; the insecurity also spreads to previously stable areas; some 1,000 civilians were killed in armed conflict since January 2008 ("Some 1,000 civilians killed since January - NGO body") [ID 24218]

Document(s): Open document

01.08.2008 - Source: ReliefWeb

Violence has reached its worst level since 2001 with more than 260 civilians killed in July alone ("Civilians under threat of worst Afghan violence yet"), Author: Reuters Foundation [ID 24219]

Document(s): Open document

01.08.2008 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Aid agencies say violence has reached worst level in country since late 2001 ("Aid Groups Say Violence Worst Since 2001") [ID 24220]

Document(s): Open document

26.07.2008 - Source: Guardian

Helmand province: British soldiers killed 4 civilians and injured 3 more after opening fire on a vehicle that failed to stop at checkpoint; the issue of civilians being killed by NATO action is an increasingly sensitive one for Afghanistan's government ("British soldiers kill four civilians in Afghanistan") [ID 24222]

Document(s): Open document

23.07.2008 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Up to 100,000 people have been deprived of access to basic health services over the past four months, due largely to worsening insecurity; this figure is in addition to the over 300,000 people who last year lost access to primary health facilities ("Insurgency, insecurity threaten health progress") [ID 24223]

Document(s): Open document

11.07.2008 - Source: Guardian

According to official investigations, the US military killed 47 civilians, including 39 women and children, as they were travelling to a wedding; the civilians had no links with the Taliban or al-Qaida; Karzai has pleaded repeatedly for western troops to take care not to harm civilians ("US air strike wiped out Afghan wedding party, inquiry finds") [ID 24224]

Document(s): Open document

09.07.2008 - Source: BBC News

According to the Red Cross, at least 250 Afghan civilians have been killed or wounded in insurgent attacks or military action in the past 6 days; according to the UN, the number of civilians killed in fighting in Afghanistan had jumped by nearly two thirds compared to last year ("Alarm over Afghan civilian deaths") [ID 24225]

Document(s): Open document

01.07.2008 - Source: Guardian

Fighting between militants and international troops is intensifying in the southern half of Afghanistan; in June, more US and Nato troops were killed by militants in Afghanistan than in Iraq ("International force in Afghanistan suffers deadliest month since 2001 invasion") [ID 24226]

Document(s): Open document

25.06.2008 - Source: BBC News

Eastern Afghanistan: Attacks by insurgents are up by 40% compared with last year, the US military says ("Eastern Afghan attacks 'up 40%'") [ID 24228]

Document(s): Open document

25.06.2008 - Source: Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

Analytical article on recent military and security developments in Afghanistan ("Recent developments fail to change Afghan war fundamentals") [ID 24229]

"The outcome demonstrated again that the Taliban cannot establish a formal area of control inside Afghanistan. Taliban units have had to evade conventional battles with coalition forces and rely instead on asymmetric tactics. Even so, these latter operations have proven sufficiently successful to prevent coalition forces from consolidating control over much of Afghanistan. Last year, Taliban attacks killed 8,000 people in Afghanistan, the highest number since the 2001 coalition invasion that drove the Taliban from power."

Document(s): Open document

17.06.2008 - Source: BBC News

Southern Afghanistan: Hundreds of people flee their homes fearing fighting between troops and the Taliban ("Afghans flee amid fears of battle") [ID 24231]

Document(s): Open document

05.06.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Amnesty International is dismayed that the early months of 2008 have been marked by a sharp rise in civilian deaths caused by attacks of the Taliban and other armed anti-government groups ("Afghanistan: Civilians suffer the brunt of rising suicide attacks [ASA 11/006/2008]") [ID 24238]

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2008 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Southern Helmand province, Garmsir district: According to governor, ISAF operation causes humanitarian crisis; 8,000 families displaced ("Afghan Civilians Driven From Garmsir by Fighting") [ID 24235]

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

In 2007, insurgent violence killed more than 6,500 persons compared to more than 1,400 in 2006 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23293]

"Violence perpetrated by Taliban, al-Qa'ida, and Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin terrorists and insurgents killed more civilians than in the previous year. Violence by these groups included an increasing number of terrorist attacks using suicide bombs. Insurgent violence killed more than 6,500 civilians and military personnel during the year, compared to more than 1,400 in 2006. Attacks on government security forces, international organizations, international aid workers and their local counterparts, and foreign interests and nationals increased during the year, prompting some organizations to restrict their developmental or humanitarian activities or leave areas of the country. Government officials remained under attack by insurgents, with more than a dozen killed in numerous incidents."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Antigovernment elements, tribal leaders and police officials entered and looted homes and businesses of civilians with impunity ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23788]

"Antigovernment elements, tribal leaders, and security and police officials forcibly entered and looted the homes and businesses of civilians with impunity. There were reports of theft by national security forces while conducting raids and searching homes. According to press reports in April, men in military uniforms looted homes and businesses in the Sangenn District of Helmand Province. There are conflicting reports about whether the men were allied with international forces or an independent militia. Following a September bus crash in Ghazni, ANP officers allegedly looted valuables from victims and told victims that unless they paid the police they would not receive medical attention. In August 2006 ANP officers in Uruzgan Province raided a local bazaar to seize contraband items, including poppy. Several storekeepers and shoppers reported being harassed and having their money and goods stolen. During a subsequent inspection of the ANP provincial headquarters' evidence locker, authorities found only small amounts of the contraband."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Human rights abuses and attacks against civilians by Taliban and al-Qaida fighters ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23794]

"Persistent Taliban and al-Qa'ida activity, interfactional fighting between regional warlords, and criminal activity resulted in unlawful killings and numerous civilian casualties. Militants targeted and killed foreigners and local NGO employees. Militant suicide attacks increased, with 143 suicide attacks this year compared to 140 in 2006 and 15 in 2005. Insurgents targeted national and government officials, as well as women working in the government and other high profile positions, but the majority of victims were civilians. Attacks against noncombatants (government officials, civilians, religious figures, teachers, and students) remained a threat, with 635 in 2005, 664 in 2006, and 671 this year. A UN report released during the year found that 76 percent of all suicide bombings targeted international and local security forces, with the overwhelming majority of victims being civilians."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Surge in abductions of NGO workers and foreign workers ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23798]

"Authorities reported approximately 90 abductions during the year, at least 15 of which resulted in the death of the hostage; however, the unreported number was believed to be much higher. The overall number of kidnappings of foreign aid and NGO workers increased to more than 70 from only a few in 2006. The head of UNAMA said publicly in October that insurgents and criminal gangs had abducted 76 aid workers, that 34 aid workers had been killed during the year, and that insurgents had attacked or looted 55 aid convoys. The Taliban, militants, tribal leaders, and insurgents abducted security forces, civilians, and at least one journalist for political and financial gain. Many were killed but some were allowed to live if they vowed to resign and join antigovernment elements. Antigovernment forces abducted a pregnant German woman from a restaurant in Kabul in August and two German contractors in Wardak Province. ANP freed the German woman and arrested four suspects. One of the men was killed; the other was released in early October."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

In some areas the government limited citizens’ movement due to security interests ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 24002]

"The law provides for freedom of movement within the country, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation; however, certain laws limited citizens' movement, and the government limited citizens' movement due to security interests. The greatest restriction to movement in some parts of the country was the lack of security. In many areas insurgent violence, banditry, and landmines made travel extremely dangerous, especially at night."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Sources of insecurity comprise groups opposed to the government, regional warlords and criminal groups involved in narcotic trade; threats emanate from counterinsurgency, attacks by anti-government elements, arbitrary killings, abductions and conflicts over religious or tribal differences ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22550]

"There are broadly three different sources of insecurity in Afghanistan, namely:

• groups ideologically opposed to the Afghan Government such as the Taliban and the warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and his Hezb-e-Islami faction;
• regional warlords and militia commanders; and
• criminal groups, mostly involved in Afghanistan’s booming narcotic trade.

The lack of security is characterized by various threats to life, physical integrity and overall stability. These threats emanate from the following:

• intensified counterinsurgency activities, including aerial bombings, by ISAF/NATO which have escalated into open warfare in the south, southeast, eastern, western and central provinces and which affect the ability of civilians to travel safely to and from these provinces;
• indiscriminate attacks by anti-Government elements through, inter alia, the consistent use of indiscriminate types of warfare (e.g. improvised explosive devises (IED) on the roads, missile attacks, bombs and suicide bomb attacks) including attacks on “soft targets” such as schools, teachers, and religious figures;
• systematic acts of intimidation, involving arbitrary killings, abductions and other threats to life, security and liberty, by anti-Government elements and by regional warlords and militia commanders and criminal groups;
• illegal land occupation and confiscation with limited possibilities for redress; and
• conflicts over religious or tribal differences and strife over the use of pasture land between armed Afghan factions
• inadequate responses to the above by the central Government to address violence and protect civilians."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Sharp increase of violence and suicide attacks in 2007; most of the victims of suicide attacks are civilians; attacks against international and Afghan security forces, schools, students, government officials, the international aid community and the police ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22551]

"In 2007, violence linked with armed conflict was the worst since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and is increasingly affecting civilians. In 2007 indiscriminate insurgency-related attacks were reportedly at least 20 percent higher than in 2006. An average of 548 incidents per month was recorded in 2007 compared to an average of 425 per month in 2006. By the end of September 2007, there have been over 100 suicide attacks compared to 123 in the whole of 2006. While 76 percent of all suicide missions targeted international military and Afghan security forces, their victims were largely civilian bystanders. One hundred and forty-three civilians have lost their lives to suicide attacks alone between 1 January and 31 August 2007. Suicide attacks have been accompanied by targeted attacks committed against schools and students, Government officials, Afghans associated with international military forces and the international aid community, elders, Mullahs and the police.168 The deadliest attacks targeting civilians by insurgent groups occurred in the south and southeastern regions of Afghanistan."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Death threats by the Taliban against Afghans cooperating with the international aid community or military forces ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22552]

"Fear and insecurity among the civilian population have also been fuelled by the continued distribution of so-called “night letters”, allegedly written by the Taliban and containing death threats against Afghans cooperating with the international aid community or military forces."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Security situation aggravated by heavy fighting between anti-government elements and the ANA/ISAF/NATO forces and the growth of criminal and drug gangs ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22553]

"The security situation is further aggravated by heavy fighting between anti-Governmental elements and the ANA/ISAF/NATO forces and the growth of criminal and drug gangs, which enjoy a symbiotic relationship with anti-Government armed groups. In 2007, NATO-led counterinsurgency military operations previously focused in the south of Afghanistan have extended to a number of areas in the eastern, southeastern, central and western regions including the provinces of Wardak, Ghazni, Helmand, Urozgan, Kunar, Nuristan, Paktika, Shindand, Bala Murghab and Ghurmach."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Information on incidents involving civilian causalities during operations by international forces ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22554]

"Despite the lack of access to conflict-affected areas, a number of specific incidents involving civilian casualties have been reported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, including the alleged killings of civilians in May 2006 during NATO/ISAF air strikes in Kajaki District of Helmand Province. Furthermore, a Government fact-finding mission reported that 10 civilians had been killed and 27 injured in a NATO/ISAF raid on an alleged insurgent compound in Dehjawz village, in Uruzgan Province. The report also highlights concerns over the protracted offensive in Zherai/Panjuay districts during which NATO/ISAF allegedly have killed civilians as part of “Operations Medusa.” In December 2006 in Mandozai district, Khost province, five members of a prominent family were killed leading to community demonstrations against international forces.

In another reported incident on 4 March 2007, following an attack by a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) on a convoy of US Marine Corps Special Forces, US forces retaliated by shooting at vehicles and pedestrians at the immediate site of the VBIED attack and in several different locations along the next 16 kilometres of the road. In total, at least 12 civilians were killed and another 35 injured as a result of the shooting, including several women and children. On the same day, international and national forces initiated air and artillery attacks against a residential compound in Jabar village in Kapisa province. While the attacks were directed at two men accused of insurgent activities, it resulted in the death of nine civilians, including two pregnant women and four small children, and the wounding of five more. In addition, since the end of April 2007, NATO-led forces have been fighting in the Sangin Valley of Helmand province as part of “Operation Achilles”, NATO’s largest operation against the Taliban insurgents to date. Air strikes conducted as part of this operation have also caused a number of civilian casualties.

While a number of measures have been implemented by the Government and ISAF/NATO forces to address this situation, Human Rights Watch expressed serious concerns about NATO’s ability to distinguish between combatants and civilians due to extensive reliance on aerial bombardment to compensate for insufficient numbers of ground troops."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Uruzgan, Helmand and Kandahar provinces: Armed conflict displaces approximately 80,000 persons; displacements of civilians also in Shindand (Herat); return of IDPs difficult due to ongoing fighting and Taliban activities ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22555]

"Government sources estimate that armed conflict has caused the displacement of 15,000 families (approximately 80,000 persons) from Uruzgan, Helmand and Kandahar provinces. Furthermore, aerial bombardments in April 2007 in the Zirkoh area of Shindand caused additional displacement of civilians. While exact figures of the displacement are unavailable, elders of the area estimate that between 3,000 and 5,000 families were affected. Numbers are likely to increase with the spread of the fighting to other areas. The return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their places of origin is hindered by ongoing fighting, intimidation and fear of being killed by Taliban insurgents and destruction of homes and livelihoods."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Attacks on over 200 schools; 20.000 students were affected by school closure throughout the country ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22556]

"The right to education has been undermined particularly in districts of Hilmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Paktika, parts of Ghazni, Khost, Paktia and Kunar as attacks have caused the closure of schools and driven out teachers and NGOs providing education. Over 200 schools were burnt, attacked or partially destroyed and 200,000 students were affected by school closure throughout the country. These attacks were characterized by Human Rights Watch as constituting war crimes on the basis of defying the law of armed conflict by targeting civilians and civilians’ establishments."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Non-state actors like the Taliban endanger the authority of the government; reach of the government has been reduced in some provinces due to armed attacks and Taliban control ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22931]

"The re-emergence of previous and new militia commanders in many parts of the country and escalating violence due to the insurgency require particular consideration of possible risks emanating from non-State actors.  The reach of the central Government in a number of provinces in the eastern, southeastern and southern, central and western parts of the country has been significantly reduced due to the growing number of armed attacks and reported de facto Taliban control. Furthermore, in the northern part of Afghanistan factional violence and criminality continue to pose significant challenges to the authority of the Government in a number of areas."

Document(s): Open document

11.2007 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Different perceptions of security by Afghans and the international community ("11th European Country of Origin Information Seminar; Vienna, 21 - 22 June 2007; Country Report; Afghanistan") [ID 21948]

"Afghans and the international community may have different perceptions of security. For example in Helmand or Uruzgan it would be difficult by 2004/2005 for internationals outside of militarised conditions to move freely – while for Afghans security was sometimes reported as more tolerable where the Taliban were in control with their brutal forms of social justice but Afghans were protected from a predatory police. On the other hand the north of the country, regarded by the internationals as being comparatively secure, could be viewed as problematic by Afghans who were exposed to abuse by the powerful and lacked any means of effective redress."

Document(s): Open document

11.2007 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Manifold, complex and interrelated sources of violence (inter-tribal, factional, criminal, narco-criminal, insurgent elements, domestic violence) ("11th European Country of Origin Information Seminar; Vienna, 21 - 22 June 2007; Country Report; Afghanistan") [ID 21949]

"Sources of violence are complex and inter-related. They include inter-tribal, factional, criminal, narco-criminal and insurgent elements. Additionally, domestic violence is endemic in Afghanistan.

Given the fact that the presence of weapons remains widespread small conflicts can expand very quickly. Conflicts are often triggered by land disputes, disputes that are complicated by decades of flight and return."

Document(s): Open document

11.2007 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

South: Insurgency in consequence of different internal and external drivers ("11th European Country of Origin Information Seminar; Vienna, 21 - 22 June 2007; Country Report; Afghanistan") [ID 21950]

"The insurgency is driven in the South by the following internal drivers:
• very poor levels of governance: appointment of illiterate, corrupt or inefficient governors and/or chiefs of police at provincial and district levels
• reported sale of official positions (for rent seeking activities – e.g., control of roads to
Pakistan border to facilitate drug trafficking)
• appointments & sale of positions are also associated with particular tribes, so there are winners and losers within a complex tribal landscape
• access to resources (including government posts) dominated by actors with strong
tribal base; key facilitators and beneficiaries of narcotics trade remain powerful even
when officially replaced
• total absence of effective, equitable tribal policy
• this leads to marginalisation of other tribes, who then support the opposition to the
government

The external drivers of insurgency are largely linked to the fact that significant areas of the
border regions on the Pakistan side of the Durand line are increasingly beyond the Pakistani Government’s control:
• the FATA and other tribal regions provide safe haven for insurgents. There are
continuing questions as to the levels of cooperation by the Government of Pakistan in
controlling cross border movement of insurgents.
• extremist madrassahs continue to proliferate in Pakistan.
• the goal of a comparatively effective Taliban propaganda campaign is to change the
Afghan view of the international military from “partners” to “occupiers” - civilian
casualties are helping the insurgents reach that objective"

Document(s): Open document

11.2007 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Approximately 80.000 persons displaced from Uruzgan, Helmand and Kandhar provinces; Insecurity in Afghanistan is marked by destabilization, presence of warlords, insurgency and attacks against civilians and institutions ("11th European Country of Origin Information Seminar; Vienna, 21 - 22 June 2007; Country Report; Afghanistan") [ID 21951]

"The increasing conflict has caused the displacement of 15,000 families (approximately 80,000 persons) from Uruzgan, Helmand and Kandahar provinces. The insecurity in Afghanistan ismarked by:

• an increased threat from and destabilization caused by AGE, in the south, south-east
and eastern regions and increasingly in the North (e.g. recent suicide bombing in
Kunduz, IEDs in Badghis)
• intensified counter-insurgency activities by ISAF include aerial bombardment
• increased incidents in civilian casualties during 2006 and 2007
• continued presence of commanders/warlords4 and the failure of DIAG, exposing the
government’s inability to provide protection. In some provinces the government is
unable to provide security beyond district centres.
• abuse of civilians by uniformed agents of the state including police, army and NDS

Since the second half of 2005 onwards there is a marked increase in insurgent-related attacks through the use of:

a) IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), VBIEDs (Vehicle Borne Improvised
Explosive Devices, i.e. car bombs), suicide bombers5,
b) targeted assassinations (e.g. the provincial head of Ministry of Women’s Affairs
in Kandahar in September 2006),
c) attacks on "soft targets" such as schools, teachers, journalists and religious
figures, MPs, Provincial Council members to end support for the GOA and
demonstrate the weakness of the government"

Document(s): Open document

23.10.2007 - Source: Asia Foundation

Survey on public opinion on security, reconstruction, governance (national mood, security, development and economy, local government, judicial system, democracy, women and society) ("Afghanistan in 2007: A Survey of the Afghan People") [ID 21473]

Document(s): Open document

23.10.2007 - Source: Asia Foundation

Security situation and perception of insecurity varies regionally ("Afghanistan in 2007: A Survey of the Afghan People") [ID 21667]

"Increasing insecurity in Afghanistan over the last one year was reflected in public perception with the survey revealing an increased concern with security. However, the perceptions varied widely regionally and there was considerable difference in the perception of insecurity nation-wide and at the provincial, local and neighbourhood level. [...]

It is identified as being problematic in South-Western, Western, South-Central and Central-Hazarajat. While,specially those in the Central/Kabul region (86%) and the Northern region (89%)rate the security situation as good."

Document(s): Open document

16.08.2007 - Source: Asian Centre for Human Rights

Article on situation in Afghanistan after "Joint Peace Jirga" (Increase of Taleban influence, human rights violations by Talebans and multinational forces) ("How far is Afghanistan from becoming Iraq?") [ID 20976]

Document(s): Open document

24.07.2007 - Source: BBC News

Kabul: Security is tight ahead of the funeral of the country's last king, Zahir Shah ("Former Afghan king to be buried") [ID 20692]

Document(s): Open document

06.07.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Helmand Province: Residents face wave of lawlessness which might be worse than rule of Taleban: Corrupt police, foreign bombings, kidnappings, robbery fuel deteriorating security situation ("Helmand: Trouble on All Fronts") [ID 20690]

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Government and international partners unable to ensure security ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20282]

"The government and its international partners were unable to ensure security and a climate of political uncertainty grew in the course of the year. Armed conflict, marked by aerial bombardments and suicide bombings, escalated in southern parts of the country. At least 1,000 civilians were killed. Poor governance, the power of regional commanders and the impact of narcotics undermined the rule of law and human rights. Government security bodies committed human rights violations with impunity. There was little reform of judicial, law enforcement and security agencies. Women continued to face violence. Human rights defenders, including women, were targeted and killed. It became increasingly dangerous to speak out against human rights abuses and for justice."

Document(s): Open document
Open document

17.05.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Northern Afghanistan: Insurgent attacks on rise; some say it is tactic designed to draw international military forces away from South, others caution that violence is home-grown, partly sponsored by local drug barons, partly product of desperation and poverty ("Taleban Create Diversion in Northern Afghanistan") [ID 20281]

Document(s): Open document

05.05.2007 - Source: Reuters

Chronology of killings and kidnappings of aid workers since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001 ("CHRONOLOGY-Danger stalks aid workers in Afghanistan") [ID 19964]

Document(s): Open document

03.05.2007 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Herat province: Up to 60 civilians may have died, almost 1,600 families displaced, many others need humanitarian assistance two days after US war planes bombed several villages, officials say ("Some 1,600 displaced after US air raids") [ID 20273]

Document(s): Open document

23.04.2007 - Source: ReliefWeb

According to top economic official level of destruction was far underestimated from the beginning which fuelled unrealistic expectations about how fast the country could be rebuilt ("Interview- Afghan destruction underestimated, adviser says"), Author: Reuters Foundation [ID 19961]

Document(s): Open document

17.04.2007 - Source: Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission

Attacks by armed groups as well as national and international forces have repeatedly resulted in the killing and injury of civilians ("Violations of international humanitarian law in Afghanistan practices of concern and example cases") [ID 19611]

"Attacks by armed groups as well as military operations by national and international forces have repeatedly resulted in the killing and injury of civilians and the destruction of civilian property. International humanitarian law prohibits all forms of violence to life and person directed against any persons taking no active part in hostilities. The intentional targeting of civilians and civilian objects are forbidden. Attacks may only be directed against military targets and the attacking party must do everything feasible to verify that the objectives to be attacked are indeed military in nature. Any civilian casualties caused by such attacks (referred to as “collateral damage”) must not be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military adThere have been some particularly egregious cases in which civilians have been the primary target of an attack. In most instances, however, civilian casualties are the result of operations whose primary purpose is the pursuit of military objectives. Frequently, such casualties are out of proportion to the military benefits of the operation or attack and their infliction thus constitutes not legitimate collateral damage but a serious violation of international humanitarian law.vantage anticipated from the attack."

Document(s): Open document

16.04.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Overview of civilian deaths from insurgent attacks ("The Human Cost; The Consequences of Insurgent Attacks in Afghanistan") [ID 19610]

Document(s): Report
Press Release

04.2007 - Source: British Agencies Afghanistan Group

Violence is now being used to intimidate those who are cooperating with state organs or international forces ("BAAG Afghanistan Monthly Review; April 2007") [ID 20268]

"After a period in which international forces were the primary targets of terrorist attacks, there would now appear to be a pattern in which violence, or the threat of violence, is being used to intimidate those who are deemed to be cooperating with the state-building process or with international forces. It is largely Afghans who are being targeted and they include those working in the Afghan National Army (ANA), in the police, as security guards or as support staff for, for example, the aid community or international journalists. In addition, the population is being warned, through a resort to violence, not to pass information on to international forces. A further pattern is an evident willingness to draw on methods of violence which are especially brutal."

Document(s): Open document

29.03.2007 - Source: ReliefWeb

Powerful warlords and smaller commanders in relatively calm North and West are reportedly latent threat to fragile government because of their stockpiles of arms ("Warlords and weapons - gunpowder for Afghanistan"), Author: AFP [ID 19353]

Document(s): Open document

29.03.2007 - Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Security situation deteriorated since 2005; state security institutions have had problems with retention, staff effectiveness, corruption, and general oversight ("Breaking Point: Measuring Progress in Afghanistan") [ID 19360]

"Afghans are more insecure today than they were in 2005. This is due largely to the violence surrounding the insurgency and counterinsurgency campaigns, and the inability of security forces to combat warlords and drug traffickers. State security institutions have increased their operational capacity and have trained more personnel, but they—particularly the Afghan National Police— have had problems with retention, staff effectiveness, corruption, and general oversight."

Document(s): Report
Short summary

28.03.2007 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Province of Helmand: Conflict between the anti-government elements and the international forces has intensified in recent months, pushing more and more women out of the workforce back into their homes ("Women forced to quit work because of insecurity") [ID 19352]

Document(s): Open document

27.03.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Helmand: Over the past weeks, Lashkar Gah has become increasingly unstable, with bombs and murder almost daily fare; Taleban kill woman ("Taleban Target Helmand's Capital") [ID 19351]

Document(s): Open document

23.03.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Herat province: Once relatively stable, area becomes increasingly dangerous; government blames Taliban of sponsoring violence, but analysts suspect "jihadis", various armed fractions which used to fight against Soviets, Taliban and now against government ("Afghanistan's Wild West") [ID 19349]

Document(s): Open document

15.03.2007 - Source: UN General Assembly

Report of the Secretary-General on security situation, security institutions, political developments, economic and social developments, human rights and rule of law ("Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security [A/61/799–S/2007/152]") [ID 19345]

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Some organisations forced to leave areas of the country due to attacks ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19506]

"Attacks on government security forces, international organizations, international aid workers and their local counterparts, and foreign interests and nationals increased during the year and prompted some organizations to leave areas of the country."

Document(s): Open document

05.03.2007 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Report on the human rights situation (discrimination, violence against women, armed conflict and violence, impunity, deficits in democracy, institutional capacity and technical cooperation) ("Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and on the achievements of technical assistance in the field of human rights [A/HRC/4/98]") [ID 19355]

"Violence linked with armed conflict was the deadliest in 2006 since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001. Although centred in the four southern provinces, it occurs over large areas from Kunar in the east to Farah in the west. Parts of the southern central highlands, notably Dai Kundi and Ghor, are also becoming destabilized and prone to violence.   Insurgent-related attacks increased from fewer than 300 a month at the end of March 2006 to over 600 by end September 2006. (In 2005, the average number of such attacks was an estimated 130 per month.) Suicide attacks have risen dramatically - in 2005, there were 17 such attacks; in 2006, 123 incidents were recorded by the United Nations, killing 237 civilians and injuring 624. In addition, 16 international military personnel and 52 Afghan soldiers and police were killed by suicide bombing attacks. During 2006, an estimated 4,000 people were killed, of whom at least one third were civilians."

Document(s): Open document

03.2007 - Source: British Agencies Afghanistan Group

Monthly overview on security incidents and human rights abuses ("BAAG Afghanistan Monthly Review; March 2007") [ID 19605]

"Civilians have again become victims of suicide attacks targeted at international forces or personnel, or at the police. International forces and the police have also been targeted. Those associated with the Afghan Government or with the international presence have remained highly vulnerable. Abductions, followed by murders, represent a highly disturbing aspect of recent incidents."

Document(s): Open document

21.02.2007 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Helmand province: Increasing insecurity has been pushing more and more women out of the workforce back into their homes; conflict between the anti-government elements and the international forces has intensified in recent months ("Women forced to quit work because of insecurity") [ID 18857]

Document(s): Open document

07.02.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Helmand: Report on infrastructure and security situation ("Afghanistan: NATO Struggles With Security, Rebuilding In Helmand") [ID 18788]

Document(s): Open document

02.2007 - Source: International Council on Security and Development (formerly: Senlis Council)

Report on the insurgency & counter-insurgency, including the population's perceptions ("Countering the insurgency in Afghanistan: Losing friends and making enemies") [ID 19343]

"The current insurgency consists of two different types of insurgency: one driven by political and religious concerns, another by economic incentives and legitimate grievances. The latter insurgency – a ´grassroots´ movement largely fed by social protest, unemployment and different grievances the people hold against the government and the international community – is significantly larger than the former group. It lacks the political purpose and fundamentalist nature of its counterpart. Structural unemployment, despair and extreme poverty provide an ideal recruiting ground for this insurgency. The practice of counter-insurgency in Afghanistan has so far predominantly focused on military instruments to fight against the insurgency. By doing this, it has wrongfully left out all the non-military elements that form part of counter-insurgency theory: for example humanitarian aid, economic development, establishing health care and developing the educational system. Five years after the international community committed to stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan, these instruments have been insufficiently funded and implemented. Instead, what Afghans in the south see in their daily lives from the international community are mere negative policy instruments. They see military bombing campaigns, where bombs do not distinguish between innocent civilians and insurgents. The policy of poppy crop eradication reinforces poverty and fuels both anger towards the government and the international community, while it also provides the insurgency with an easy recruitment base."

Document(s): Open document

17.01.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

On security and humanitarian situation; deportees, unlike people who return voluntarily, are generally not entitled to receive support from IOM's RANA programme (position paper) ("Keine extreme Gefahrenlage in Afghanistan?") [ID 19071]

Document(s): Open document

17.01.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Development of security and humanitarian situation in 2006; support through IOM's RANA programme (Return, Reception and Reintegration of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan) is generally not available for deportees (expert opinion, in German) ("Stellungnahme vom 17.1.2007 an VGH Hessen - 8 UE 1913/06.A -") [ID 19072]

Document(s): Open document

01.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

More than 3.000 Afghans have died in the violence in 2006 ("World Report 2007") [ID 18392]

"At this writing, more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in 2006 as a result of violence related to the insurgency, most of them in southern Afghanistan. Overall more than 3,000 Afghans have died in the violence in 2006, twice as many as in 2005 and more than in any other year since the 2001 fall of the Taliban. The United Nations estimated that the violence displaced 15,000 families—about 80,000 people—in southern Afghanistan."

Document(s): Open document

01.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Economic and security situation still volatile; AI advocates not to return refugees to Afghanistan ("Ab in den Hindukusch") [ID 18790]

Document(s): Open document

30.12.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

US commander expects increased Afghan violence ("U.S. Commander Predicts Increased Afghan Violence") [ID 18103]

Document(s): Open document

22.12.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

Semi-annual risk assessment (May - November 2006) and country stability ("FAST Update Afghanistan: Semi-Annual Risk Assessment May - Nov 2006"), Author: Swiss Peace [ID 18389]

Document(s): Open document

11.12.2006 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Precarious security situation continues; according to the U.S. Department of State Afghan authorities are struggling to maintain security ("Afghanistan; Update") [ID 18380]

"Bewaffnete Auseinandersetzungen zwischen rivalisierenden Kriegsherren, Raubüberfälle, zahllose Landminen und Blindgänger sowie – in einzelnen Gebieten – Gefechte zwischen ausländischen Truppen und Taliban-Kämpfern bilden nicht kalkulierbare Sicherheitsrisiken.

Das U.S. Department of State weist aktuell darauf hin, dass die Fähigkeiten der afghanischen Behörden, die Ordnung aufrechtzuerhalten sowie die Sicherheit afghanischer Zivilpersonen zu garantieren, begrenzt sei. Reisen in sämtliche Gebiete Afghanistans, Kabul ausdrücklich eingeschlossen, werden aufgrund von Militäroperationen, Minen, Banditentum, bewaffneten Rivalitäten unter politischen Gruppierungen oder Stämmen sowie Terroranschlägen als unsicher eingestuft."

Document(s): Open document

04.12.2006 - Source: UN Security Council

General security situation remains precarious throughout the country; terrorism poses serious threat to the nation-building process ("Report of the Security Council mission to Afghanistan, 11 to 16 November 2006 [S/2006/935]") [ID 18606]

"Security was the dominant concern in Afghanistan. Many of the mission’s interlocutors expressed apprehension about the rise in violence in Afghanistan, especially in the south, south-east and east of the country. President Karzai contrasted the intensity of the fighting in 2006 — between Afghan and international security forces and insurgent and terrorist elements — with the relative calm of 2003 and 2004. The insurgency appeared more or less confined to one third of the country. The remaining two thirds of Afghanistan (west, north and central regions) were considered comparatively stable. However, limited factional tensions were emerging in the north and trends towards rearmament had been detected. The security situation in general remained precarious throughout the country, with the threat of suicide attacks and other forms of terrorism by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other extremist groups posing a serious threat to the nation-building process. After a worrying upsurge in the number of security-related incidents in the country throughout the spring and summer of 2006, there were signs that insurgent- and terrorist-related violence, which had plagued the country for much of the year, might be subsiding. The mission was told by ISAF and President Karzai’s National Security Council that armed clashes between insurgents and Afghan and international military forces had decreased in October and November. ISAF Commander General David J. Richards noted that Operation Medusa in Kandahar Province in September 2006 had dealt the Taliban-led insurgency a heavy blow. He predicted that this and other recent operations by Afghan and international military forces had set the stage for a more stable winter and 2007. On the last point, however, more cautious views were expressed by UNAMA, the United Nations country team and civil society members. In any case, if there are medium-term gains, they would be dependent on the swift delivery of reconstruction, development and improved governance in insurgent-affected areas."

Document(s): Open document

07.03.2006 - Source: UN Security Council

Report of the UN Secretary-General on political process, security sector institutions, human rights, reconstruction process, security situation and UN activities ("The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security; Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan; Report of the Secretary-General [S/2006/145]") [#46440],  [ID 1611]

"A. Security situation
Characterization of the overall situation
39. The security situation over the past six months was characterized by a clear consolidation of previously reported trends in extremist activity. The operational tempo and tactical sophistication of insurgent and other anti-Government elements have continued to develop. These activities pose an increasing threat to the local population, national security forces, international military forces and the international assistance effort. Violence and threats against local officials, religious leaders, teachers and staff and facilities of the education system have continued and intensified, in particular in the south and south-east of the country. Corruption, the menace of a criminalized economy, dominated by drug and other organized criminal networks, and the presence of illegally armed groups have continued to undermine the authority of the legitimately elected government.
40. Over the course of the reporting period, insurgents and other anti-Government elements increasingly employed more sophisticated and lethal tactics, such as the use of complex improvised explosive devices, well-planned ambushes and technically advanced multiple rocket attacks. Perhaps of greatest concern is the steep rise in the number of suicide bombings. Prior to 2005, there had been only five cases in the three preceding years. In 2005, there were 17. By 23 February 2006, the annual total for 2006 already stood at 11. This represents 65 per cent of the 2005 total in a two-month period. The lethality of these attacks has also grown. In 2006, the average number of victims per attack was 11, up from 5.4 in 2005.
41. Up to November 2005, a significant proportion of security related incidents involved clashes between anti-Government elements and security forces, primarily international military forces. Since most of those incidents resulted in the defeat of anti-Government elements, attacks against foreign military forces have been decreasing in favour of attacks against Afghan security forces and against soft targets (Government and social institutions), by entities that are difficult to detect or identify. This changing tactic is evident in four principal threat areas; namely: improvised explosive devices, suicide bombings, kidnapping and attacks against the education system.
42. Insurgents departed from the seasonal trend of past years by maintaining a high level of operational activity throughout the winter period. The first months of 2006 witnessed a rising level of insurgent attacks, in particular in the south and east of the country. Indeed, the number of anti-Government elements-related incidents has grown, unabated, since 2003. Of particular note is that the frequency of such attacks during the latter half of 2005 and the start of 2006 (200 per month) was higher than during any of the previous reporting periods, including the presidential elections of 2004. Over the past six months, the incidence of successful improvised explosive device attacks compared with the previous half year has increased by over 50 per cent. Anti-Government elements also appear to have expanded their theatre of operations into traditionally calmer areas of the west, north and north-east of the country. Activities include the use of improvised explosive devices (previously rare in these areas), as well as four suicide attacks or attempts in Mazari Sharif andBalkh between October and January. In December, Hirat suffered its first recorded suicide attack.
43. Kidnapping is not a new trend in Afghanistan and numerous incidents of abductions of nationals for revenge or criminal reasons continue. Foreigners have also been targets in the past. The cases of the three United Nations election workers in 2004, the CARE aid worker in May 2005, the Indian road engineer (later killed) in November 2005 and the recent kidnapping of two Nepalese on 11 February (one released and one killed) are stark examples. Numerous reports received in January and February 2006 indicate criminal and anti-Government elements intent to kidnap foreigners for political leverage and/or ransom, primarily in Kabul and the eastern region of the country.
44. The reporting period was marred by methodical attempts to undermine the education system. Incidents included the burning or bombing of schools; the assassination of principals, teachers and officials and threats to students. These attacks have led to the closure of all schools in 6 districts and the closure of a substantive number of schools in 10 other districts of the southern region. In 2005, there were 99 such attacks, primarily in the southern region, south-eastern region and eastern region. Based on the 2006 rate of incidents, the annual projection extends to 144.
45. Publications in Europe depicting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad sparked country-wide demonstrations in February, some of which turned violent, resulting in 6 persons dead and 14 injured. Clashes with provincial reconstruction teams in Meymana (Faryab) and Pul-i-Khumri (Baghlan) also broke out. United Nations staff in Meymana were temporarily relocated for more than two weeks, returning on 23 February. While demonstrations continue to be held on some provinces, they have been largely peaceful. Subsequent investigations suggested that the riot was not spontaneous and was a carefully planned and orchestrated event, explicitly targeting the provincial reconstruction team."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2006 - Source: Refugees International

Security situation in the South deteriorating, reports UN ("UN worries over worsening Afghan security (AFP)") [#45838],  [ID 1612]

Document(s): Open document

23.02.2006 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Several schools have been attacked in the last year; insecurity remains the country's main problem ("New UN envoy calls for end to attacks on schools") [#45164],  [ID 1613]

"Insecurity remains a major problem for Afghanistan, where about 1,600 people were killed last year in militant violence, making 2005 the deadliest year since the collapse of the hardline Taliban regime in 2001."

Document(s): Open document

03.02.2006 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Update on situation in Afghanistan (political and security situation, constitution and judicial system, human rights situation, socio-economic and medical situation, return) ("Afghanistan - Update zur Lage") [#44069],  [ID 1614]

"Das Eidgenössische Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten weist im Februar 2006 auf die prekäre Sicherheitslage in Afghanistan hin. Der UN Sicherheitsrat hält fest, dass mangelnde Sicherheit weiterhin das grösste Problem darstellt. Gewalt geht von diffusen Akteuren aus. Bei Gefechten und Anschlägen wurden 2005 mehr als 1'600 Personen (Aufständische, Beamte, Soldaten und Zivilpersonen) getötet. [...]
NATO/ISAF-Truppen und US-Koalitionstruppen sind zur Stabilisierung des Landes und im Kampf gegen den Terror aktiv. Polizei und Militär haben kaum die Hälfte der anvisierten Grösse erreicht und weiterhin keinen landesweiten Einfluss. Gelegentlich kommt es auch zu gewaltsamen Zusammenstössen zwischen Polizei und Militär. In mehreren Provinzen vermischen sich Sicherheitskräfte mit kriminellen Elementen. Wegen zunehmender Anschläge gegen die afghanische Armee ausserhalb Kabuls kam es zu einer Zunahme von Desertionen. [...]
Taliban / Al Kaida / Hezb-e-Islami (Kämpfer von Gulbuddin Hekmatyar) / Bara bin Malek Front (Kämpfer von Mullah Ismail) greifen im Süden und Osten vermehrt Stationen und Konvois der Polizei, des Militärs und von US-Soldaten an, erstellen Hinterhalte oder Strassenbomben und kontrollieren Teile der Provinzen Zabul, Uruzgan, Kandahar, Helmand und Kunar. Es kommt zu Selbstmordattentaten, Bombenanschlägen, Angriffen auf staatliche Einrichtungen und Attentate auf Einzelpersonen. In unsicheren Gebieten z.B. im Südosten des Landes wird Sicherheit durch die Stämme gewährleistet.
Lokale Kriegsherren und Milizen verfügen weiterhin über Waffen, welche landesweit zur Einschüchterung und Beherrschung der Zivilbevölkerung eingesetzt werden. Zudem ist die Beziehung zwischen der Zentralregierung und Kriegsherren in den Provinzen weiterhin angespannt.12 Im Süden besteht aufgrund des Einflusses von Kriegsherren und Taliban eine «doppelte Bedrohung». [...]
Organisierte Kriminalität ist landesweit ein ernsthaftes Problem. [...] Der Drogenhandel stellt ein ernsthaftes Sicherheitsproblem dar. [...]Menschen- und Organhandel stellen ernsthafte Probleme dar. [...]
Weiterhin enden Landkonflikte zwischen Familien und Stämmen in gewaltsamen Zusammenstössen mit tödlichem Ausgang. Zudem kommt es zu Landkonflikten zwischen zurückkehrenden Flüchtlingen und der lokalen Bevölkerung. RückkehrerInnen finden ihre Häuser oder Grundstücke in der Regel durch andere Personen oder Familien besetzt vor, welche nicht selten direkte Unterstützung durch lokale Kriegsherren besitzen. Kommandeure und Mitarbeiter der Regierung werden häufig beschuldigt, gewaltsam Eigentum (Land, Häuser, Läden und Wohnungen) zu beschlagnahmen, zu zerstören und zu verbrennen."

Document(s): Open document

07.11.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

No changes in repatriation process of Afghan refugees from Iran since last June; security concerns made Afghans reluctant to return ("No changes in repatriation process of Afghan refugees from Iran (DPA)") [#38653],  [ID 1615]

Document(s): Open document

22.08.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Security situation worsening in prelude of 18 September parliamentary elections ("Afghanistan: Violence Spiraling As Elections Near") [#35703],  [ID 1616]

Document(s): Open document

12.08.2005 - Source: UN Security Council

Report on implementation of Bonn agreement, security situation and post-electoral agenda ("Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security; Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan [S/2005/525]") [#35526],  [ID 1617]

Document(s): Open document

13.01.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Local commanders and warlords remain chief source of insecurity in Afghanistan; government has started action against Fahim and Ismail Khan ("World Report 2005") [#28207],  [ID 1618]

"Political repression, human rights abuses, and criminal activity by warlords—the leaders of militias and remnants of past Afghan military forces, who were brought to power with the assistance of the United States after the Taliban’s defeat—are consistently listed as the chief concerns of most Afghans. However, the marginalization of two major warlords—Marshall Fahim, the first vice president and defense minister, and Ismail Khan, self-styled Emir of Herat—raised hopes that President Karzai and the international community had begun to reverse their policy of relying on warlords to provide security."

Document(s): Open document
Open document

13.01.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Insecurity prevails particularly in the Northwest and South/Southeast of Afghanistan ("World Report 2005") [#28207],  [ID 1619]

"Many districts remain insecure because of violence caused by factions ostensibly affiliated with the government. The medical aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders), decided to pull out of Afghanistan after five MSF workers were killed in the northwest of the country in June 2004—a momentous decision given that MSF worked in Afghanistan through the worst violence of the early 1990’s. Overall, nearly fifty aid workers and election officials were killed in 2004, far higher than in any previous period.
In the south and southeast of the country, Taliban remnants and other anti-government forces outside Afghanistan’s political framework have continued to attack humanitarian workers and coalition and Afghan government forces. As a result of attacks, international agencies suspended many of their operations in affected areas, and development and humanitarian work has suffered as a result. In some areas—like Zabul and Kunar province—whole districts are essentially war zones, where U.S. and Afghan government forces engage in military operations against Taliban and other insurgent groups. Hundreds of Afghan civilians were killed in 2004 during these operations—in some cases because of violations of the laws of war by insurgents or by coalition or Afghan forces."

Document(s): Open document
Open document

12.2004 -

Deteriorated stability and high number of violent actions [ID 1620]

The swiss peace's quarterly FAST Updates use an analytic risk assessing indexing system (which is explained in the annex of each FAST Update)

Document(s): Open document

26.11.2004 - Source: UN General Assembly

Report focused on political developments, security situation (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, police and justice reform) human rights situation, health and nutrition, voluntary repatriation and reintegration ("Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security - Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan A/59/581 S/2004/925") [#27496],  [ID 1622]

"12. In the months prior to election day and the deployment of additional security forces which took place in the final weeks before the elections, there was a build-up of serious security incidents. Some of these were directed against the electoral effort, but others were directed more generally against peace and reconstruction activities. On 10 June, 10 Chinese road workers were killed, the highest death toll suffered by non-combatant expatriates in a single incident in Afghanistan. The killing of five employees of Médecins sans frontières on 2 June was the worst attack against humanitarian workers since the fall of the Taliban, causing the organization to withdraw completely. On 12 September, following the decision by President Karzai to replace the Governor of Herat, Ismail Khan, several hundred protesters attacked and burned the UNAMA office in Herat and looted the offices of other United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. The fact that these attacks occurred in areas previously thought not to be at high risk was of serious concern. Similarly, security in the south and south-east deteriorated to the point where large areas were effectively out of bounds to the assistance community, and government officials were frequent targets of attacks. There were real concerns over the impact that this obvious deterioration of the security situation might have on the credibility of the elections. Significant extraordinary measures were therefore taken to safeguard the election.

15. Without substantial progress in addressing the sources of insecurity, reconstruction efforts and the establishment of viable State institutions will continue to falter, and the economy may well be subsumed by the illicit-drugs industry. The deployment now of additional international forces, with robust and uniform rules of engagement, can provide the critical space in which progress can be made in the mutually reinforcing areas of security-sector reform, anti-narcotics activities, reconstruction, expansion of government authority and imposition of the rule of law."

Document(s): Open document

11.2004 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Security situation deteriorated in the last 18 months ("The political conditions, the security and human rights situation in Afghanistan; Report on fact-finding mission to Kabul, Afghanistan 20 March – 2 April 2004") [#27424],  [ID 1621]

"3. The security situation
3.1 The general security situation
Most sources were of the opinion that the security situation, particularly for foreigners and for Afghans working for foreign nationals has become worse during the last 18 months.
The International Office for Migration (IOM) mentioned that the security situation got significantly worse in the middle of 2003. It has improved a little since then, but it is uncertain how the situation will develop during the next six months. There is always a risk that something may explode in a particular area. The source mentioned that an increasing number of Afghans are dissatisfied with the operations of the coalition forces in the southern and southeastern parts of Afghanistan. The source stressed that the preparations for the elections in September might lead to intensified instability.
The UNHCR mentioned that the security situation for people who support the government has become markedly worse since the beginning of 2003, when an employee from the ICRC was killed. Since then many aid workers have been the targets of attacks.
The source found that the security situation has improved during the last two months but emphasized that it varies within each district, and that one should be aware of the fact that each district has its own specific power structure.
The EU Special Representative was of the opinion that the security situation had not changed significantly for the ordinary Afghan in the last eighteen months. The security situation for Afghans connected with foreign nationals however is not particularly good, especially outside Kabul where Taliban has increased their activities. The source stressed that there continues to be a complete lack of law and order throughout the country. The government does not control most provinces, which are ruled by powerful warlords. It is not only powerful warlords but also local commanders who use force and power against the civilians, for example in conflicts regarding private property.
The Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires found it problematic that areas with poor security experience little or no development. This increases dissatisfaction towards the government. The population in these areas is likely to turn against the government, which makes the security situation worse.
The Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires pointed out that the increase in opium cultivation and drug trafficking are factors, which undermine the country’s security. There are strong political and financial powers involved, which will oppose against a reduction in the production of drugs. Opium is grown in 28 of 34 provinces. It is expected that 6000 tonnes of opium will be produced per year, meaning that the production will reach the same level as before the Taliban era. The opium eradication campaign can negatively influence the farmer’s situation. Many of the opium farmers borrow money secured upon the expected harvest. If the farmer’s crops are destroyed, poverty will increase enormously in the rural districts.

The Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR) also mentioned that the security situation has got gradually worse since March 2003 when an international employee of the ICRC was killed. In May 2003 the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar published a decree that made aid organizations and allied local Afghans legitimate targets. This worsened the security situation for these groups. Other groups of civilians are to a lesser extent affected by the aggravated security situation. The organization has had to leave a number of provinces due to the aggravated security situation.
The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) also mentioned that relief organizations and governmental authorities do not have access to parts of southern and southeastern areas. ACBAR explained that in areas with little security the local population has lost faith in the peace process because warlords are still in power, and because the central government does not respond to the situation. ACBAR informed that the NGOs obtain security by creating networks with the local population through the local councils of elders (Shuras). The local population warns the NGOs if they become aware of any enemy activities or bomb attacks. In this way, NGOs do not have to enter into direct agreements with, or to get permission from warlords in order to work in a specific area."

Document(s): Open document

11.10.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

At least 2 people injured in rocket attacks on number of urban centres; election observers allegedly pressured voters in presidential election ("Elections Close Not With a Bang, But a Whimper") [#26364],  [ID 1623]

Document(s): Open document

30.09.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Security before upcoming elections remains top problem in most regions, where citizens live in fear of local commanders who kill, steal water and land, and demand money ("News Release: Nationwide Survey Reveals Voter Demands") [#26169],  [ID 1624]

Document(s): Open document

29.09.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Durrani Pashtun Tribal Militias in and around Kandahar ("The Rule of the Gun. Human Rights Abuses and Political Repression in the Run-up to Afghanistan’s Presidential Election") [#25888],  [ID 1625]

"In the south, in areas in and around Kandahar province, military, police, and other governmental posts are mostly controlled by Pashtun Durrani subtribes—the Popalzais (the tribe of the Karzai family), the Alikozai, and the Barakzais. These tribal forces, which fought as mujahidin forces in the 1980s, are either controlled or allied in varying degrees with President Karzai. President Karzai’s brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, controls the Popalzai forces and maintains loose control over Alikozai and Barakzai commanders and leaders, some of whom also maintain close ties to Jamiat and Shura-e Nazar."

Document(s): Open document

29.09.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Ismail Khan’s militia in and around Herat ("The Rule of the Gun. Human Rights Abuses and Political Repression in the Run-up to Afghanistan’s Presidential Election") [#25888],  [ID 1626]

"Until recently, western provinces in and around Herat were controlled by the militia of Ismail Khan, an Islamist mujahidin leader. Ismail Khan is loosely allied with Jamiat and Shura-e Nazar but has remained essentially autonomous. Until he was removed by President Karzai on September 12, 2004, he controlled almost all aspects of government and security forces in Herat and surrounding districts. He is still believed to have significant power over militia forces in the Herat area."

Document(s): Open document

22.09.2004 - Source: Freedom House

Poor security situation in much of the country ("Freedom in the World 2004") [#25791],  [ID 1627]

"Numerous civilians have been killed as a result of bombings, rocket attacks, and other acts of terror by unknown assailants; during localized fighting between ethnic factions, particularly in the north; or during skirmishes between Taliban supporters on one side and government forces and the U.S. military on the other. Both the foreign and Afghan staff of a number of international organizations and nongovernmental aid agencies have been targeted for attack, particularly in the provinces with an active Taliban presence, and several dozen were killed during the year. In October, after months of reluctance on the part of the international community to significantly expand the 5,300-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the United Nations voted that the ISAF should be allowed to operate beyond Kabul. Although Germany deployed a contingent of troops in the northern city of Kunduz shortly thereafter, other donors remained loath to commit extra troops, and the security situation in much of the country continued to be extremely poor.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans returned to their homes during 2003, but well over one million refugees remain in both Pakistan and Iran, and in addition, tens of thousands of civilians continue to be displaced within the country. Humanitarian agencies and Afghan authorities were ill-equipped to deal with the scale of the repatriation, while the poor security situation compounded by widespread land-grabbing meant that many refugees were unable to return to their homes and instead congregated in and around major urban centers."

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2004 - Source: UN General Assembly

UN Independent Expert on the relationship between political power and illegal activities ("Report of the independent expert of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan A/59/370") [#28465],  [ID 1628]

"28. Afghans fear for their daily safety. Illegal activities are on the rise, including murder, robbery, theft, rape, kidnapping, unlawful seizure of property and other common crimes. Women and girls are especially affected by this lack of security, sometimes avoiding school or travel to hospitals out of concerns for their safety. While rising crime rates are a common component of post-conflict social reality, what is perhaps most threatening about the current situation is the relationship between the illegal activities and the persons who control political power, whether formal State actors or those who yield power in the absence of effective State organs. In many regions of the country, local government leaders are directly implicated in a vast array of illegal activities including car theft rings, extortion, smuggling, and the use of illegal roadblocks to force payment from truck drivers and others. In some areas, the situation is so bad that these practices severely delegitimize the State, bringing into question the validity of the reconstruction process on the ground."

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2004 - Source: UN General Assembly

UN Independent Expert on the role of warlords and local commanders ("Report of the independent expert of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan A/59/370") [#28465],  [ID 1629]

"29. As a result of decades of armed conflict, ethnic allegiances and the prolonged absence of a legitimate centralized State, local and regional power within Afghanistan is subject to the authority exercised by a variety of armed actors commonly referred to as warlords. These warlords’ local commanders wield authority through a combination of arms, mutually supportive relationships with other armed actors, social networks and ethnic allegiances. Some key figures in Afghan politics might be described as classic warlords through their exercise of a monopoly of economic and military authority over a sizeable area. Others, who might be termed petty warlords or local commanders, exercise authority over a relatively small area and have only minor backing by genuine force. Often, the power of less dominant commanders is the result of linkages and networks with a number of armed actors. Overall, there exist numerous non-State armed groups throughout the country. Alone, few of these groups and their leaders pose a fatal threat to a unified, central Government, but combined, they do. They also present a significant impediment to a unified national Government capable of preventing these groups from committing gross violations of fundamental human rights.
30. The Coalition forces, by far the most powerful military force in the country, did not marginalize these warlords when it could have done so earlier in the reconstruction process. Instead, they worked with many warlords and local commanders to counter remnants of the Taliban and Al-Qaida. This increased the real and perceived authority of these warlords and local commanders."

Document(s): Open document

12.08.2004 - Source: UN Security Council

Overall security situation volatile, deteriorated ("Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security S/2004/634") [#24813],  [ID 1630]

"Overall security situation

17. The security situation in Afghanistan is volatile, having seriously deteriorated in certain parts of the country. Attacks on national and international forces and on electoral, government and humanitarian workers and their premises in southern Afghanistan have intensified. At the same time, in a disturbing development, several of the most serious acts of violence since the start of the Bonn process took place in the north and west of the country, areas that had been considered low-risk. The protagonists of this destabilizing activity range across a gamut of interests hostile to the peace process, from extremist elements (Al-Qaida and the Taliban, whose numbers include cross-border insurgents), to factional forces and criminals, including some involved in drug trafficking.
18. Acts of violence have, increasingly, been directed at the staff and offices of the electoral secretariat and United Nations workers. The electoral secretariat suffered its first fatalities in the east, where four Afghan female registration staff were killed in two separate bomb attacks on the vehicles in which they were travelling to registration sites in Nangarhar province on 26 June and 8 July. In the south, a team leader of the Joint Electoral Management Body in Uruzgan province and a village chief travelling on motorbikes were ambushed and shot dead by unidentified assailants on 24 July. Four days later, a bomb exploded at a voter registration site located in a mosque in Ghazni Province, killing two nationals, including a staff member of the Management Body, at a voter registration site. The incident also left seven other Afghans wounded. These tragic events were preceded by several attacks on electoral and United Nations workers; fortunately, in the latter case there were no casualties or serious damage.
19. A protracted attack on an electoral convoy, in clearly marked United Nations vehicles with a police convoy, took place in broad daylight in the south-east on 6 June: the assailants employed improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and light weaponry. Rocket-propelled grenades were fired at a United Nations Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan demining convoy in the central and south-eastern regions on 12 June and on a compound of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) in the southern province of Kandahar on 18 June.
20. The view of the north as the safest area of the country was seriously undermined by a succession of violent acts. A brutal attack left 10 Chinese construction workers dead in the city of Jilawugir (Baghlan Province) on 10 June; five days later, an attack with improvised explosive devices in the town of Kondoz killed four Afghans, including the driver of a German provincial reconstruction team vehicle that was passing through the area, an improvised explosive device exploded next to a vehicle belonging to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Takhar Province on 10 June; and, throughout the period, a significant number of improvised explosive devices were laid along roads in the north-east.
21. On 2 June, gunmen in the west ambushed a Médecins Sans Frontières vehicle travelling in Badghis Province, and at close range shot and killed five staff of the organization, three international (from Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway) and two Afghans. Four days later a grenade was thrown during the night into the compound of a non-governmental organization in Badghis; fortunately no one was injured.
22. In addition to these attacks, the north and west of the country have experienced a level of factional fighting unprecedented since the fall of the Taliban and efforts to restore order have seen several emergency deployments of the Afghan National Army. As reported to the Security Council on 24 March (see S/PV.4931), fighting between the forces loyal to Governor Ismail Khan and General Zahir involving the use of heavy weaponry took place in the town of Herat on 21 March. Some 50 to 100 people were reportedly killed in the clash, including the central Government’s Minister of Aviation and a son of the Governor; while those involved dispute the facts surrounding the incident, the conflict resulted in General Zahir and his forces taking refuge in the neighbouring province of Badghis. In a negotiated agreement between the central Government and Governor Khan, troops were deployed to Herat to help restore order. Herat’s intelligence chief was implicated in the incident and dismissed; however, his successor, appointed by the central Government, was denied access to his office by the Governor. On 4 July, commanders loyal to the Governor ransacked the intelligence chief’s temporary office and attacked his staff, critically injuring two.
23. In Faryab Province, factional tensions culminated on 8 April when the Governor and senior officials of his administration were forced out of office by a violent crowd affiliated with the Jumbesh faction that accused them of siding with an opposing faction. During the incident, the Governor was protected by elements of the British provincial reconstruction team from Mazar-e-Sharif. The central Government deployed Afghan National Army troops to the area to restore order. Nevertheless, factional elements have thwarted the efforts by the central Government to install a new governor. Similarly, in Samangan and Sar-i-Pul, factional elements continue to prevent the governors designate from taking up their posts.
24. On 17 June, the Afghan National Army was again deployed following factional fighting, involving heavy weaponry, between the commander of the main military unit in Ghor and supporters of the provincial Governor. A presidential delegation, supported by the presence of the Afghan National Army, assisted in negotiating a settlement, which resulted in changes in senior administrative posts in the province. During the period under review there have also been sporadic clashes in Farah, Balkh and Daikundi.
25. Against this background of security concerns, Médecins Sans Frontières decided to withdraw from Afghanistan after more than two decades of uninterrupted presence in the country. This illustrates how much more work must be done to restore a security environment consistent with the expansion of humanitarian and development activities.
26. Overall, it appears that following the successful elimination by Governor Ismail Khan of his rivals in Herat, some factional leaders have concluded that the fragile inter-factional power-sharing arrangements that have been in place in several provinces of the north since 2002 can be overturned through military means and with impunity. There is a risk that further destabilization could occur in other provinces in the north and north-east where similar inter-factional arrangements exist.
27. The deterioration of the security situation must be addressed resolutely. This requires increased international forces, sufficient in number and area of responsibility, and the full cooperation of neighbouring States. I therefore welcome the recent decision by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to increase its troop strength to focus on improving security and I trust that it will soon be implemented."

Document(s): Open document

01.03.2004 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

State authorities cannot guarantee security ("Afghanistan - Update über die Entwicklungen bis Februar 2004 (Author: Michael Kirschner)") [#20596],  [ID 1631]

"Die Übergangsregierung verfügt nicht über das staatliche Gewaltmonopol. Das deutsche Auswärtige Amt hält fest: "Die Sicherheitskräfte der Übergangsregierung sind nicht in der Lage, landesweit Ruhe und Ordnung zu gewährleisten."Da es weder einen landesweit funktionierenden staatlichen Sicherheitsapparat noch ein funktionierendes Justizsystem gibt, kann der Staat die Sicherheit der Zivilbevölkerung nicht gewährleisten. Die Sicherheitslage hatte sich bis Juni 2003 in städtischen und ländlichen Gebieten kontinuierlich verschlechtert. RückkehrerInnen wurden bedroht von Gangs und Banditen, bedrängt von illegalen (Strassen-)Steuererhebungen durch lokale Kommandeure, durch Zwangsheirat und Heirat von Minderjährigen. Die UNO und der abtretende ISAF-Kommandant van Heyst hatten wiederholt betont, dass Afghanistan aufgrund von Terrorismus, Drogenkriminalität, Kämpfen zwischen Milizen und Taliban-Angriffen wieder im Chaos versinken könnte. Im Dezember 2003 sagte UN-Generalsekretär Annan deutlich: "Wenn wir uns nicht um die Sicherheitsprobleme kümmern, könnten wir Afghanistan verlieren."Im Januar 2004 zeigte ein UN-Bericht, dass die Zahl der Anschläge auf Zivilpersonen in den letzten drei Monaten höher als in den letzten 20 Monaten insgesamt war. Im Januar 2004 forderte der NATO-Oberbefehlshaber Scheffer mehr Soldaten und Ausrüstung, um die Sicherheit ausserhalb Kabuls zu verbessern. Mitte Februar 2004 äusserten US-Regierungsvertreter, dass in einem Drittel des Landes die Sicherheitslage als gefährlich oder ungewiss einzustufen sei."

Document(s): Open document

03.12.2003 - Source: UN General Assembly

Security remains a major concern: the primary source of instability remains terrorist activities by suspected Taliban, Al-Qaida, and supporters of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar ("Report of the Secretary General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (A/58/616)") [#18064],  [ID 1634]

"15. Security remains a major concern throughout much of the country. Unchecked criminality, outbreaks of factional fighting and activities surrounding the illegal narcotics trade have all had a negative impact on security. The primary source of instability remains terrorist activities by suspected Taliban, Al-Qaida, and supporters of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. These groups have targeted members of the Transitional Administration and the international community. During the past year, attacks on international and national staff of the assistance community have intensified. In March 2003 an international staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross was murdered in Uruzgan province, while in the same month an Italian visitor was killed in Zabul province. United Nations and non-governmental organization vehicles and offices have also been targeted by sniper fire and attacks with explosives, resulting, in some cases, in loss of life. Earlier in the year, demining activities were halted following a deadly series of ambushes against national deminers. On 7 June 2003 a suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle alongside an International Security Assistance Force bus in Kabul, killing four soldiers and injuring 29 others in the deadliest attack against the Force since its deployment. Tragically, the month of November 2003 witnessed a series of attacks on United Nations staff and facilities, culminating in the murder of an international staff member of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ghazni on 16 November."

Document(s): Open document

11.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Assassination of French UNHCR employee linked to prevailing pattern of targeted attacks on aid community ("BAAG Afghanistan Monthly Review; November 2003"), Author: British Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) [#18299],  [ID 1635]

"The UN is reviewing the number of international staff it will permit to operate in Afghanistan following the assassination, on 16th November, of a young French woman employed by UNHCR. She was shot dead at close range by a man on a motor cycle while being driven through Ghazni bazaar. The perpetrator and an accomplice were immediately captured and were later identified as being members of the Taliban militia.
This incident is clearly linked to the prevailing pattern of targeted attacks on the aid community and on those involved in reconstruction programmes. Responding to the attack, the Head of UNHCR reported that UN activities, in general, had been dramatically scaled back with field missions suspended and activities reduced to avoid exposure. He added that UNHCR would move its international staff out of Kandahar, Gardez (which includes Ghazni) and Jalalabad. He noted that a dialogue was ongoing with the government of Afghanistan to bring about better security so that aid organizations could work safely. Noting that repatriation had been halted in Pakistan, he indicated the UNHCR wanted to send a message to the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments that it could not carry out its work without proper security and that these governments had to do more. [...]
On 18th November, representatives of international NGOs operating in Kandahar noted that attacks were escalating and that “more precise and ruthless methods are being employed” Most agencies were reported to be restricting their activities to a rapidly shrinking area in and around Kandahar city. The Senior Area Coordinator for the NGO, Mercy Corps (which has operated in the south for many years), commented that “the measures taken thus far,” including the planned expansion of provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs), would not effectively address the deteriorating situation.[...]"

Document(s): Open document

13.10.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Security Council authorizes expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan to allow for maintenance of security outside Kabul ("UN SC seeks expansion of role of international effort in Afghanistan, to extend beyond Kabul - Resolution 1510 (2003) adopted") [#16697],  [ID 1636]

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

The disarmament of some 100,000 Afghan militiamen could begin in late October ("Afghanistan prepares to disarm 100,000 militiamen (AFP)") [#16165],  [ID 1637]

Document(s): Open document

16.09.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Rising attacks and worsening security situation is threatening reconstruction work in Afghanistan, NGOs say ("NGOs warn rising attacks threaten Afghan aid work (AFP)") [#16125],  [ID 1638]

"According to US-based CARE International, half of Afghanistan's 32 provinces this month had areas deemed high-risk for aid workers."

Document(s): Open document

01.09.2003 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Occupation of houses and property by commanders is one of the most widespread features country wide ("Land Issues Within the Repatriation Process of Afghan Refugees") [#47197],  [ID 1639]

"The occupation of houses and property by commanders is one of the most widespread features country wide, affecting groups and individuals alike. Plenty of examples exist in this regard. In Nawabad Kohistan village, Kohistan district of Kabul province, it was reported that 130 houses and 1200 jeribs of land owned by exiled and displaced Pashtun families were still occupied by armed Pashayi groups.
Close affiliation with commanders has often been taken as a pretext by some ethnic groups to occupy the property of others. In Khan Afghania village of Almar village of Faryab district, the farming land in the desert is forcibly occupied by an Uzbek from Kaftar Khan Uzbakia village, who is allegedly linked to the local commander. The occupation of property has also often been accompanied by acts of looting. In other instances, the property was not directly occupied, but its owners were forced by the particular commanders to lease their land to the ethnic group affiliated with them. In the Central region, the returnees complained that they were forced to lease their fruit crop to powerful Tajik neighbours at a minimal price compared to the other offers.
Commanders have used their occupation of the land of returnees as a tool to pressurise their victim in order to reach a political end. Weaker members of the society, such as female heads of households are particularly vulnerable to abuse illegal confiscation of their property. In the Istilaf district of Kabul province, the house of a pashtoon widow was unlawfully occupied by a Tajik commander from another village.
This is not to say that vulnerable individuals always lose out to the powerful. In some cases though few, the vulnerables’ right to property was effectively protected. In Deh Yak district of Ghazni province; a returnee widow faced difficulties upon return to access her land. The local court investigated the merits and ruled in the widow’s favour. The caretaker of her land accepted the decision, signed it in the presence of the villagers and the head of the village."

Document(s): Open document

09.2003 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Verstärkte Aktivitäten durch al-Qaida, Taliban und Anhänger von Gulbuddin Hekmatyar im ganzen Land ("Aktualisierte Darstellung der Lage in Afghanistan") [#47150],  [ID 1640]

"Berichten zufolge gibt es weiterhin Widerstandsnester von Kräften der al-Qaida und Taliban sowie Anzeichen, dass sich einige Einheiten der Taliban neu formieren. Seit August 2002 haben der extremistische und antiwestlich eingestellte Mudschaheddin-Kommandeur Gulbuddin Hekmatyar und seine Gefolgsleute ihre Aktivitäten auffallend verstärkt. Sie wurden mit vereinzelten Bombenattentaten in Kabul sowie mit Sicherheitsproblemen in Teilen der östlichen, zentralen und nördlichen Regionen in Verbindung gebracht. Die Streitkräfte der Koalition, die in erster Linie mit dem „Krieg gegen den Terrorismus“ beschäftigt sind, sind aktiv im Südosten (Khost, Paktia, Paktika), im Osten (besonders Kunar und Nangahar), der Süd- und Zentral-Region (speziell Helmand, Kandahar, Farah, Bamyan und Uruzgan), und sie unterhalten eine starke militärische Präsenz in der Provinz Kandahar. Diese Soldaten waren in Kampfhandlungen mit den oben genannten „extremistischen Gruppen“ in jeder der genannten Regionen verwickelt. Die Koalitions-Streitkräfte sind bei ihren Aktivitäten in Kunar und Paktia auf erhebliche Ablehnung bei Teilen der örtlichen Bevölkerung gestoßen. Die Stützpunkte der Koalition in diesen Provinzen sind zum Ziel von wiederholten Raketenangriffen von „unbekannten“ Angreifern geworden. Kampfhandlungen zwischen der Koalition und bewaffneten Gruppen haben den Zugang humanitärer Hilfsorganisationen in diese Gebiete häufig behindert. In Teilen von Bamyan und Nord–Uruzgan waren Streitkräfte der Koalition an Initiativen zur Entwaffnung beteiligt, entweder auf einer ad hoc–Basis oder in jüngerer Zeit in Abstimmung mit dem Verteidigungsministerium. Die USA haben Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs/„Teams für den Wiederaufbau in den Provinzen“) nach Kunduz, Gardez und Bamyan entsandt, um Aktivitäten zum Wiederaufbau zu unterstützen und um die Autorität der Zentralregierung in diesen Provinzen zu stärken."

Document(s): Open document

09.2003 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Blackmailing and looting appear more and more often all around the country ("Aktualisierte Darstellung der Lage in Afghanistan") [#47150],  [ID 1641]

"Gelderpressungen und Plünderungen stellen weit verbreitete Erscheinungen in Afghanistan dar. Die Bandbreite reicht dabei von illegalen Steuererhebungen durch de facto-Bezirksverwaltungen, über die Aufforderung örtlicher Kommandeure an Dörfer, mit Zahlungen ihre Milizen zu „unterstützen“, bis zur direkten Plünderung des Besitzes von Zivilisten durch Angehörige von Milizen.
Nach dem Sturz der Taliban wurde im Zeitraum November 2001 bis April 2002 besonders der Besitz von Angehörigen der paschtunischen Minderheit im Norden geplündert, aber die illegale „Steuererhebung“4 hält in beinahe allen Bezirken in den Provinzen im Nordwesten an. In Faryab und Baghdis (Nordwesten) werden beispielsweise „ungeschützte“ Gruppen wie die Paschtunen im besonderen Maße zum Ziel von derartigen Geldforderungen, auch wenn andere Gemeinschaften ebenfalls betroffen sind. Während des Jahres 2002 und im Jahr 2003 haben Zivilisten darüber berichtet, dass sie in ihren Häusern weiterhin von Milizangehörigen aufgesucht werden, die Nahrungsmittel und Geld verlangen und manchmal die Ernte beschlagnahmen. Derartige Berichte gab es aus Malistan und Jaghori (Ghazni), aus der Provinz Faryab, aus Dai Kundi und Sharistan (Uruzgan), aus der Provinz Kapisa (Kohistan I, II, und Alasai) und aus bestimmten Gegenden in Shomali (Charikar und Guldara), um nur einige zu nennen. In Nord-Uruzgan und West-Ghazni werden Zivilisten, von denen bekannt ist, dass sie über finanzielle Mittel verfügen, häufig Opfer von Plünderungen und Erpressung. Darunter sind zurückkehrende Binnenvertriebene und Flüchtlinge, die als Rückkehrhilfe Bargeld erhalten hatten."

Document(s): Open document

09.2003 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Repeatedly clashes between rival warlords ("Aktualisierte Darstellung der Lage in Afghanistan") [#47150],  [ID 1642]

"Zwischen rivalisierenden afghanischen politischen und militärischen Akteuren, die nach regionaler Machtstellung streben, ist es wiederholt zu Zusammenstößen gekommen. Gewalt und Konkurrenz zwischen solchen Parteien hat die Sicherheitslage im Nordwesten (Faryab, Saripul, Balkh, Jawzjan, Samangan) und Süd-
Hazarajat (Western Ghazni, Süd-Bamyan, Nord-Uruzgan) bestimmt. Kleinere Zusammenstöße und anhaltende Spannungen sind auf Provinzebene zwischen rivalisierenden Kommandeuren zu beobachten, die um politische Macht oder um Ressourcen streiten, sowie zwischen Stämmen, die aufgrund von Blutrache in häufig jahrzehntealte Fehden verwickelt sind. Das Auftreten derartiger kleinerer Konflikte konnte im März 2003 in beinahe jeder Provinz Afghanistans festgestellt werden, besonders aber im Osten (Nuristan, Laghman), der Zentralregion (Kapisa), im Westen (Baghdis und Farah) sowie im Südosten (Paktika, Khost)."

Document(s): Open document

11.08.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

NATO has taken a leadership role in providing security in and around Kabul in Afghanistan ("NATO takes on Afghanistan mission") [#15109],  [ID 1643]

Document(s): Open document

29.07.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Warlords commanding private armies and gangs still control areas outside the capital ("Kabul Faces Provincial Problem") [#14726],  [ID 1644]

Document(s): Open document

23.07.2003 - Source: UN General Assembly

Overall security situation throughout Afghanistan remains fragile and, in many areas, exhibits signs of deterioration ("Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security A/57/850–S/2003/754") [#14760],  [ID 1645]

"21. The overall security situation throughout Afghanistan remains fragile and, in many areas, exhibits signs of deterioration. During the reporting period, localized tensions between rival factions in the north have taken a dramatic turn for the worse. During June and July, the Junbish forces of General Abdul Rashid Dostum and the Jamiat forces of Ustad Atta Mohammed repeatedly clashed in Balkh, Samangan and Sari Pul Provinces, resulting in direct intervention by the two factional leaders. Of greatest direct impact on United Nations agencies was the outbreak of fighting on 16 May in Mazar-i-Sharif city between the Wahdat-Mohaqiq and Jamiat factions. The conflict resulted in the death of the person who acted as the local government’s focal point for United Nations security and one of his police commanders, and led to the suspension of United Nations activities in the city for four days. Implementation of ceasefire agreements brokered by the Multi-Party Security Commission of the North and UNAMA in Mazar-i-Sharif and in Maymana, Faryab Province, have greatly benefited from the deployment of Kabul-based police officers. Nonetheless, solutions to the factional tensions throughout the north are not apparent, though it is somewhat encouraging that, during the conflict in Sari Pul Province late in June, the leaders of Jamiat and Junbish personally intervened."

Document(s): Open document
Open document

23.07.2003 - Source: UN General Assembly

Attacks against the assistance community have intensified significantly over the past three months; in March an international staff member of the International committee of the Red Cross was assassinated in Uruzgan province ("Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security A/57/850–S/2003/754") [#14760],  [ID 1646]

"24. Attacks against the assistance community have intensified significantly over the past three months, jeopardizing the safety of both international and national staff. In March, an international staff member of the International committee of the Red Cross was assassinated in Uruzgan Province, the first killing of a foreign aid worker in Afghanistan since 1998. The same month, armed individuals killed an Italian visitor, in Zabul Province. Several vehicles belonging to the United Nations and non-governmental organizations and their offices across the country have been targeted by sniper fire and grenade attacks. During the reporting period, a deadly series of attacks against national deminers required the United Nations Mine Action Centre in Afghanistan to suspend all demining activities in 10 provinces: Gardez, the southern part of Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar (outside Kandahar city and immediate surroundings), Khost, Nimroz, Paktika, Paktya, Uruzgan and Zabul. At present, 60 districts out of 165 in the south and south-east are considered high- to medium-risk areas. The majority of these are border areas. In response to the security situation, the United Nations has had to place severe restrictions on travel by road throughout much of the region. In Kandahar city and its immediate vicinity, the United Nations has been able to continue operations without any major restrictions. In large areas of the south, however, United Nations personnel must operate with armed escorts provided by the Afghan authorities. The United Nations is doing its utmost to continue operations in these regions; but security precautions restrict the ability of the international community to deliver programmes and to support the peace process. Indeed, the pattern of attacks seems to indicate an intent to force the international community into retreat and thus to destabilize the Government."

Document(s): Open document
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02.07.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Increase of incidents and accidents in the entire country reported ("Attacks in Afghanistan doubled in May: ISAF commander (AFP)") [#14010],  [ID 1647]

Document(s): Open document

23.06.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Security situation in Afghanistan has steadily deteriorated in 2003 ("Out of sight, out of mind: The fate of the Afghan returnees") [#13706],  [ID 1648]

"Amnesty International believes that Afghanistan is not a country that has crossed over into a post-conflict situation, and therefore is one to which most refugee and IDP returns should be considered unsustainable. At a basic minimum, a post-conflict situation would be characterized by adequate levels of security in the majority of the country, access to adequate shelter, access to food and potable water, access to employment, the rule of law and due regard for the human rights of all persons, including in particular those of vulnerable groups. In contemporary Afghanistan, these conditions are not being met for the vast majority of Afghans, including refugees returning to their country of origin who are especially vulnerable, having been uprooted for protracted periods of time.
The security situation in Afghanistan has steadily deteriorated in 2003. Attacks targeted at foreigners, such as the murder of an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff member in Uruzgan province in March 2003, have led to a withdrawal of NGO and UN staff, in particular international staff, from aid projects throughout the south of the country. Humanitarian aid workers and de-mining teams have also been the target of attacks in other parts of the country. Growing insecurity over the last months has meant that up to twothirds of the country is not readily accessible to international aid agencies to conduct relief and monitoring exercises. UN agencies in the south have recently had to request armed escorts in order to be able to travel with some measure of security.
This insecurity is as prevalent in the urban centres of Afghanistan as it is in the countryside. As the pace of reconstruction in Afghanistan slows, and the living conditions of most ordinary Afghans fails to improve, many are turning to extremist forces, such as a revitalized Taleban now active in the south-east and east, to express their disappointment in the present administration and its foreign backers. US-led military action along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan has been the cause of further deaths and consequent resentment of the presence of foreigners. On 9 April, eleven civilians, including seven women, were killed when a US bomb hit their house on the outskirts of Shikin, Paktika province. In Kabul there has been a sharp decrease in the level of security experienced by Afghans and members of the international community."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2003 - Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Serious security incidents have continued in 2003, involving factional/local rivalries and violence, human rights violations, daily harassment of citizens (often by security forces), and now almost daily attacks in the South and Southwest ("Transitional Assistance Programme for Afghanistan - Mid-Year Review; May 2003") [#14692],  [ID 1649]

"A final note on key concerns, primary of which is security and the weakness of rule of law. Serious security incidents have continued in 2003, involving factional/local rivalries and violence, human rights violations, daily harassment of citizens (often by security forces), and now almost daily attacks in the South and Southwest by elements hostile to the central Government. Recent attacks have targeted Government officials and the international assistance community. This has severely constrained humanitarian and reconstruction activities, particularly in some of the southern areas. The UN is working closely with the Government to continue to deliver assistance and protection wherever they are needed, adding security measures to its operations in some parts of the country. It is also requesting member states to give their full support for security-sector reform—including the army, police force and the judiciary—as well as to the creation of work opportunities for Afghans and to an effective counternarcotics strategy.
This is a continuing period of transition, where immediate humanitarian needs remain and the UN will work closely with the ATA to meet these needs by addressing their underlying causes, as part of a broader reconstruction strategy. The humanitarian and reconstruction activities have been affected by the apparent slow down in donor contributions, and we look forward to more predictable and accelerated financing."

Document(s): Open document

04.2003 - Source: US Institute of Peace

“Warlordism” and Regionalism in Afghanistan ("Unfinished Business in Afghanistan") [#15906],  [ID 1651]

"The term “warlord” is now a contested term, but for our purposes it denotes an individual who exercises a combination of military, political, and economic power outside a constitutional or legal framework. Warlords are particularly threatening when they exercise power over distinct geographical regions. In normal, bureaucratically organized and functioning states, the government defines the legitimate sub-national territorial units over which power is to be exercised. In Afghanistan, these units consist of 32 provinces (up from 29 in 1978), but there are also hauzas, military zones the communist regime created in the 1980s. By and large, the regionally based warlords operate within the hauzas. This form of regionalism is not unique to Afghanistan, and is in fact a form of politics in parts of post-Soviet Central Asia. However, how did a combination of warlordism and regionalism emerge in today’s Afghanistan? There is some social basis for it, but one determining factor is whether sufficient resources are available for building a central state that can incorporate or subordinate those wielding regional military power. The Taliban successfully subordinated them with Pakistani and later al Qaeda assistance, one of the most popular things the Taliban did.
The re-emergence of warlords after the ouster of the Taliban is partly related to the U.S. decision to support regional commanders (who could help American military objectives) with money and weapons during the campaign after September 11 rather than supporting a central authority. This approach resembled the war waged by the United States against the Soviets in the 1980s, but one participant emphasized that it was Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) that was America’s key conduit to the warlords during that period, thereby allowing the ISI to select recipients that served its own interests without any thought of strengthening Afghanistan’s central government. This time around, some officials argued that the United States should delay the initiation of hostilities after September 11 until an international conference to legitimate an alternative Kabul government was held so that the United States did not need to rely on decentralized commanders, but their view did not prevail. Working group participants noted, however, that it is incorrect to believe that because these commanders re-emerged with U.S. assistance, Americans and their allies now can dictate terms to them."

Document(s): Open document

07.03.2003 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Incidences of some form of armed conflicts in all provinces; some cases of abuse of power in the provinces reported ("The Political, Security and Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan: Report on fact-finding mission to Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and Islamabad, Pakistan; 22 September - 5 October 2002") [#11326],  [ID 1652]

"The majority of the sources consulted stressed that the current security in general is what causes the biggest concern for ordinary people. The UNHCR deputy chief of mission advised that there are incidences of some form of armed conflicts in all provinces. According to several sources, including UNAMA and the Norwegian chargé d'affaires, there are also some cases of abuse of power in the provinces. The coordinator of UNAMA's Civil Affairs Branch said that at the moment the local rulers are in a position where they are able to commit injustices against the general population without fear of punishment.
The EU-delegation special representative said that the security situation in Afghanistan in general is controlled by local warlords. Groups such as al-Qaida, remnants of the Taliban and groupings around Hekmatyar represent a minor danger. However, they are present in the regions close to Pakistan, i.e. the southern and eastern corner of Afghanistan, but here too the situation is improving. As far as the rest of the country is concerned, these groups are non-existent. The situation is not stable. There are incidents such as the bomb in Kabul in early September 2002 and the attempted assassination of the president at the same time, but there is no real pattern.
The Norwegian chargé d'affaires advised that in Kabul the security situation in general is reasonably good, and that normally there are no major incidents. In the rural areas, there are many negative activities, and the situation changes weekly and from one month to the next. The situation is particularly critical in the southern and south-eastern areas, whereas the areas around Kandahar and Herat are comparatively quiet. The major challenge for the authorities is centred around Mazar-i-Sharif and in the south and the east. As far as the international security forces, ISAF, are concerned, the chargé d'affaires said that the most recent compromise reached relating to the future of the forces, was an extension to 22 December 2002 under Turkish leadership. As for a geographical increase of the forces, the USA has now indicated that they are prepared to accept a geographical increase, if other countries join in, but it is doubtful whether the USA itself will contribute to any such increase. However, the USA has shown greater understanding of Karzai's requirements in terms of the security force and is therefore no longer opposing an increase. On the other hand, the USA has not indicated a higher level of commitment in terms of any such increase.
ICG found that the security situation in general is the same as under the Taliban regime, neither worse nor better. Karzai has turned out to be less effective in the provinces, but ICG believed that compared to the situation in 1992, the present situation is considerably better. In the early 1990's, nobody could be sure about which group would be bombing other groups, whereas today there is greater focus on the warlords' fight for political control of a particular geographical area.
The DACAAR programme manager believed that the situation varies greatly, and that in general the situation has deteriorated compared to the security situation under the Taliban regime. According to the source, the Taliban regime left a vacuum in terms of the balance of power in local areas. Under the Taliban, there was generally a lower level of local conflicts, whereas shortly before its downfall, there was an increase in local conflicts. The Taliban disarmed large parts of the population, but as soon as the Taliban had gone, a large number of people started to carry weapons again. Nevertheless, according to the source, when compared to the situation in Afghanistan before the Taliban, there are fewer people carrying weapons today."

Document(s): Open document

03.2003 - Source: Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan

Table: warlords in Afghanistan (region, affiliation, supporters, incidents of discrimination against women) ("Background Information on Warlords in Afghanistan") [#16735],  [ID 1653]

Document(s): Open document

01.2003 - Source: CARE International

Many armed militias still operating throughout the country; criminal opportunists profiting from the current security vacuum ("CARE International in Afghanistan Policy Brief: A New Year’s Resolution to Keep: Secure a Lasting Peace in Afghanistan") [#10422],  [ID 1654]

"Security in Afghanistan requires dealing with three sets of actors: 1) those militarily dedicated to the overthrow of the current regime, 2) leaders of the many armed militias still operating throughout the country, and 3) criminal opportunists profiting from the current security vacuum. Each of these three threats persists today.
Since last September, the war against the Taliban and Al Qaida has achieved only partial success. The UN reports increased Taliban and Al Qaida activity on the Pakistan border in December. These "total spoilers" remain capable of threatening the current political administration and its international supporters, and will likely remain a major focus of Coalition1 efforts in Afghanistan over the next year. Of even greater concern to most Afghans, however, is that so many militias loyal to individuals (not institutions) remain in place in Afghanistan. With more than 200,000 armed men, militia commanders rule local populations through force of arms, control trade routes, and fight with each other for ever greater influence and power, causing scores of civilian deaths and thousands of displacements. Outside of Kabul, they have filled the gap left by the lack of an Afghan army or an international peacekeeping force, and they continue to grow in strength and influence. Yet, the Coalition has been reluctant to get involved in fighting between these commanders, even though civilian deaths have often occurred as a result. All of the militia leaders at the 2001 Bonn meeting (which initiated the transition to a new Afghan government) have received arms and support from the United States. The Coalition continues to recruit from and train regional militias to fight Al Qa’ida. Recent reports indicate that Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India are all providing support to Afghan military forces outside of central government control. A continuation of such support would violate the agreement signed in December by the Afghan government and its neighbors, calling for an end to interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs. As long as the international community and Afghanistan's neighbors provide political and financial support to militia leaders at the expense of Afghanistan's central government, security will be compromised."

Document(s): Open document
care_afghanistan_policy_brief_jan_2003.pdf

07.08.2002 -

UNAMA: Increased number of security incidents indicate general deterioration as well as deliberate attempts to prepare terrorist acts ("07/08/2002 - UNAMA: Inter-Agency Meeting Central Area") [ID 1656]

"The past week has witnessed an increased number of security incidents, some of which indicate a general deterioration of the security situation, but others more disconcertingly point to deliberate attempts by terrorist organizations to bring explosives into Afghanistan for the purpose of terrorist acts. There is a need for all aid and humanitarian Agencies (UN and NGOs) to revise and where necessary increase their security vigilance."

Document(s): 07/08/2002 - UNAMA: Inter-Agency Meeting Central Area

30.07.2002 - Source: International Crisis Group

ICG: Militias with regional affiliations dominate much of the country; shifting loyalties of local commanders contribute to unpredictable situation ("Afghanistan Briefing Paper: The Afghan Transitional Administration: Prospects and Perils") [#8257],  [ID 1657]

"Militias with regional affiliations and controlled at the local level by individuals responsible for small units covering one or several villages or strategic points continue to dominate much of the country. These local commanders are generally loyal to a mid-level commander, who may control a substantial portion of a province and in turn is usually affiliated with a regional entity, party or organisation led by a recognised personality. Maintaining the loyalty of mid-level commanders is a fundamental occupation of regional leaders, requiring significant and sustained patronage. Shifting loyalties are often responsible for rapid changes in the status quo."

Document(s): Open document

11.07.2002 - Source: UN Security Council

UN Secretary-General : Security remains case of concern ("The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security [A/56/1000–S/2002/737]") [#49253],  [ID 1658]

"18. Security in Afghanistan remains a cause for concern. In addition to actions by ex-Taliban and Al- Qa’idah forces that explicitly oppose the Bonn process, the presence of armed factions that nominally support the process continues to pose a threat to the consolidation of peace and civil government in the country. This is particularly problematic in the north, where a long-standing rivalry between the Jumbesh and Jamiat factions negatively affects the general security situation. This rivalry has prevented the establishment of effective security in Mazar city, despite the efforts of the Interim Administration and UNAMA to establish a separation of forces and a neutral, multi-ethnic police force. In this context of impunity and insecurity, a number of armed attacks and robberies have been carried out against international aid organizations in the last several weeks. Most serious and contemptible was the attack on a female international aid worker […]
Regrettably, these incidents, as well as the earlier murder of a local United Nations staff member, have yet to be properly followed up by the authorities. No credible measures to address these security problems have been taken at the time of writing of this report.
[...]19. Sporadic fighting and skirmishes have also occurred in Uruzgan, Laghman, Kunar, Wardak, Paktia, Khost and Nimruz provinces. Disputed governorships have destabilized several provinces, with the central Government frequently unable to quell military opposition to Governors it has legitimately named."

Document(s): Open document

18.03.2002 - Source: UN Security Council

UN Secretary-General: Security situation across the country, especially outside the main towns, remained volatile and unpredictable ("The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security S/2002/278") [#6057],  [ID 1659]

"Unlike in Kabul — where the efforts of the Interior Ministry and the presence of the International Security Assistance Force, led by the United Kingdom, have pushed the crime rate down and improved stability — the situation across the rest of the country, especially outside the main towns, has remained volatile and unpredictable.
In general, insecurity remains the prime cause of concern for Afghans across the country for three reasons in particular. First, although al-Qa`idah and Taliban forces have been routed, pockets of resistance remain. Second, factional clashes are taking place between rival Afghan political and military actors seeking regional influence, which has led to both inter and intra-ethnic violence. Third, banditry continues as a lingering manifestation of the war economy that has developed over the past two decades in the absence of proper security and a system of enforceable law."

Document(s): 02216afgh.pdf

18.03.2002 - Source: UN Security Council

UN Secretary-General: Factional fighting ("The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security S/2002/278") [#6057],  [ID 1660]

While in the south, factional fighting tends to be intra-ethnic, in the north, clashes have been reported between ethnic groups, in particular between Uzbek, Tajik and Hazara factions

"While the vast majority of Afghans are united in their desire to eradicate terrorism from Afghanistan’s soil, the collapse of the Taliban regime has precipitated struggles for power both within the Interim Administration and in the regions. In the south, factional fighting tends to be intra-ethnic, while in the north, clashes have been reported between ethnic groups, in particular between Uzbek, Tajik and Hazara factions.
49. Rivalries continue to flare up across the Pashtun areas as different groups forge alliances and vie with each other for power. Several parts of the southern provinces of Helmand and Nimruz remain off limits. At the end of February, there were reports of clashes between forces of the Pashtun Noorzai and Ismael Khan, the governor of Herat province.
50. In the north, fighting in late January and early February between Jamiat (Tajik) and Jumbesh (Uzbek) forces left about 20 dead and injured. A team from the Interim Administration and the United Nations travelled to Mazar-e-Sharif, and after mediation the parties promised to abide by an agreement to demilitarize the city and to establish a security commission. The rivalry between local commanders remains intense, however, and the situation in the city is uneasy. An initial group of a 600-person-strong multi-ethnic police force, with representation from all the political parties, was created, and armed units were withdrawn to barracks. Nonetheless, a few weeks after
the troops withdrew, fighting erupted between two garrison commanders, resulting in two dead and several wounded, and serving as a reminder that the situation remains unpredictable."

Document(s): 02216afgh.pdf

28.01.2002 - Source: Federal Foreign Office (Germany)

German Foreign Office: Security situation remained volatile and unpredictable ("Unterrichtung des Bundestages über die im Zusammenhang mit der Beteiligung deutscher Streitkräfte relevanten Entwicklungen") [#5990],  [ID 1661]

Document(s): Open document