According to the attached 30 September 1996 Agence France Presse (AFP) report, after the takeover of Kabul the Taliban did not "established a presence" in the predominantly Hazara district of Dashti Barchi in southwest Kabul. Hazara leader Sadeq Mudaber allegedly has a "special relationship" with the Taliban (ibid.).

However, a 17 November 1996 Associated Press (AP) report claims that since the fall of Kabul, hundreds of young men from the Uzbek, Tajik, Hazara, Shi'i and Turkmen ethnic minorities in Kabul have been "disappearing." A later AP report states that the Taliban's "enemies belong to the country's minority ethnic groups of Uzbeks, Tajiks, Hazaras, Shiite Muslims and Turkmen" (25 Nov. 1996), and The New York Times describes the Taliban as being "hostile" to the Hazaras (18 Oct. 1996).

The Hazara Hizb-i Wahdat party is composed of two factions; one is led by Abdul Karim Khalili, the other by Muhammad Akbari (ODR Feb. 1996, 15.2). A Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) report in late 1996 describes a clash between Khalili's and Akbari's factions in the central province of Wardak that resulted in approximately 17 deaths (24 Dec. 1996).

On 10 October 1996 Uzbek general Abdul Rashid Dustam, Tajik commander Ahmad Shah Mas'ud and Khalili's Wahdat faction set up an anti-Taliban alliance (Xinhua 21 Dec. 1996; The Guardian 22 Oct. 1996; Jane's Defence Weekly 27 Nov. 1996). On 22 October 1996 Gulbuddin Hikmatyar's Hizb-i Islami, Ayatullah Mohseni's Hizb-i Harakat-i Islam and Pir Syed Ahmad Gailani's Hizb-i Mahaz-i Milli also joined this alliance, which is called the Afghan Defence Council (Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1 22 Oct. 1996).

Khalili's Wahdat has also held talks with the Taliban: on 10 October 1996 a Khalili delegation met in Kabul with Taliban acting foreign minister Ghaws (IRNA 11 Oct. 1996). This was the first meeting between the Wahdat and the Taliban since the fall of Kabul (ibid.). On 17 October 1996 a three-member delegation representing Dustam and the Wahdat (Khalili) held a two-hour meeting with Taliban officials in Kandahar (AFP 17 Oct. 1996).

The Hazaras are based in the province of Bamyan (The New York Times 18 Oct. 1996), in central Afghanistan (AFP 2 Oct. 1996). According to Jane's Defence Weekly, Khalili's Wahdat has a following in the Shi'i areas of central Afghanistan (27 Nov. 1996), while India Abroad states that Khalili's Wahdat is based in the central province of Bamyan (29 Nov. 1996, 12). Khalili's Wahdat, according to a 15 October 1996 Guardian report, was in control of the town of Ghorband, located in the hills above the main road to the capital.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 17 October 1996. "Taliban, Dostam Faction Meet." (NEXIS)

_____. 2 October 1996. "Taliban Rewrites Afghan Political Map, but Ethnic Divisions Remain." (NEXIS)

_____. 30 September 1996. Terence White. "Ethnic Hazara Enclave in West Kabul Not Under Taliban Control." (NEXIS)

The Associated Press (AP). 25 November 1996. Zaheeruddin Abdullah. "Taliban Jets Blitz Enemy Areas." (NEXIS)

_____. 17 November 1996. Ranjan Roy. "Villagers Flee to Safety Amid Fears of an Ethnic War." (NEXIS)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 24 December 1996. BC Cycle. "Shiite Clashes Claim 17 Lives in Afghanistan." (NEXIS)

The Guardian [London]. 22 October 1996. "Education: The Afghan Factions." (NEXIS)

_____.15 October 1996. Jonathan Steele. "Afghan Allies Close in on Retreating Taliban Militia; Morale Rises Among Opposition Armies as United Leaders Plot Advance on Capital." (NEXIS)

India Abroad [Toronto]. 29 November 1996. Vol. 13, No. 9. Aziz Haniffa. "Leaders of Principal Factions."

Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) [Tehran, in Persian]. 11 October 1996. "Shi'i Party Delegation Meets Taleban Foreign Minister." (BBC Summary 14 Oct. 1996/NEXIS)
Jane's Defence Weekly [London]. 27 November 1996. Anthony Davis. "The Jane's Interview [with Ahmad Shah Massoud]." (NEXIS)

The New York Times. 18 October 1996. Late Edition–Final. John F. Burns. "Bamiyan Journal; The Great Buddhas Wait, Knowing Nothing Lasts." (NEXIS)

Office féderal des réfugiés (ODR). February 1996. Feuille d'information sur les pays: Afghanistan: État en février 1996. Berne: Office féderal des réfugiés.

Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1 [Tehran, in Persian]. 22 October 1996. "Anti-Taleban Leaders Put Forces Under Command of Afghanistan Defence Council." (BBC Summary 24 Oct. 1996/NEXIS)

The Xinhua News Agency. 21 December 1996. Pan Yi. "Yearender: Afghan Peace Process Full of Twists." (NEXIS)

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 30 September 1996. Terence White. "Ethnic Hazara Enclave in West Kabul Not Under Taliban Control." (NEXIS)

The Associated Press (AP). 17 November 1996. Ranjan Roy. "Villagers Flee to Safety Amid Fears of an Ethnic War." (NEXIS)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 24 December 1996. BC Cycle. "Shiite Clashes Claim 17 Lives in Afghanistan." (NEXIS)

Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1 [Tehran, in Persian]. 22 October 1996. "Anti-Taleban Leaders Put Forces Under Command of Afghanistan Defence Council." (BBC Summary 24 Oct. 1996/NEXIS)

The Xinhua News Agency. 21 December 1996. Pan Yi. "Yearender: Afghan Peace Process Full of Twists." (NEXIS)