Document #1168833
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
According to the attached Xinhua article,
Jalalabad, the "first important city from the border between
Pakistan and Afghanistan," has remained peaceful since 1992 (16
Feb. 1995). References have also been made to Jalalabad as the
"peaceful eastern Afghan city" (Deutsche Presse-Agentur 4 Jan.
1995; ibid. 19 Nov. 1994), a city "more or less at peace" (The
Herald 8 Dec. 1994), "removed from the fighting" (Voice of
America 31 Oct. 1994) and a city which has "emerged as a major
trading centre because of relative peace in the region" (AFP 16
Feb. 1995).
Jalalabad and its refugee camps contain
between 200 000 and 500 000 people who have sought safe haven from
the fighting elsewhere in the country (Financial Times 16
Feb. 1995; Reuters 16 Nov. 1994; AP 6 Dec. 1994; OAA Sept. 1994,
4). According to attachments from Reuters, Xinhua and Voice of
America dated October and November 1994, approximately 1 000
refugees were arriving per day in Jalalabad, many of whom were
displaced by the fighting in Kabul (16 Nov. 1994; 3 Nov. 1994; 31
Oct. 1994). None of the sources provided specific dates with
regards to the refugee influx into Jalalabad.
However, according to the attachment from Financial Times, the Talibans, a movement of armed young male Islamic students who number approximately 20 000, are eyeing the province of Nangarhar, of which Jalalabad is the capital, as their next possible target (16 Feb. 1995). Furthermore, the attached Xinhua and Agence France Presse articles state that the council of Jalalabad, which contains mujahideen from all political parties, is prepared to defend itself if the Taliban attack Jalalabad (16 Feb. 1995; 16 Feb. 1995).
For general information on the Taliban,
please consult the attachments from Financial Times, Agence
France Presse and both al-Watan al-Arabi articles. Sources
differ on the number of provinces controlled by the Taliban,
ranging from five (al-Watan al-Arabi 17 Feb. 1995), eight
(AFP 4 Feb. 1995), nine (Xinhua 16 Feb. 1995) to "over ten of
Afghanistan's 30 provinces" (The Economist 25 Feb. 1995,
36). According to the Financial Times attachment, the
Taliban have taken over the provincial governments of 5 of
Afghanistan's 29 provinces in the last three months (16 Feb.
1995).
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.
Agence France Presse (AFP) [Hong Kong,
in English]. 16 February 1995. "Jalalabad Council Opposed to
Taleban Invasion." (FBIS-NES-95-033 17 Feb. 1995, p. 55)
_____. 4 February 1995. Herve Clerc.
"New Religious Movement Has Kabul in Its Sight." (NEXIS)
Associated Press (AP). 6 December 1994.
"2,000 Tons of Aid Rolls into Kabul." (NEXIS)
Deutsche Presse-Agentur [Hamburg]. 4
January 1995. "U.S. Envoy Visits Warring Leaders in Afghanistan."
(NEXIS)
_____. 19 November 1994. BC Cycle. "News
at a Glance." (NEXIS)
The Economist [London]. 25
February 1995. "Afghanistan: Revenge of the Pathans."
Financial Times [London]. 16
February 1995. Farhan Bokhari. "Mysterious 'Talibans' at Kabul's
Gates." (NEXIS)
The Herald [Glasgow]. 8 December
1994. Alistair Lyon. "Kabul in Currency Crisis." (NEXIS)
Office of Asylum Affairs (OAA), Bureau
of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. September 1994.
Afghanistan: Profile of Asylum Claims and Country
Conditions. Washington, DC: Department of State.
Reuters. 16 November 1994. BC Cycle.
Alistair Lyon. "The Approach of Winter Threatens Survival in
Kabul." (NEXIS)
Voice of America []. 31 October 1994.
Douglas Bakshian. "Afghan Fighting." (WEBB)
al-Watan al-Arabi [Paris, in
Arabic]. 17 February 1995. "Taleban Official Details Movement's
Objectives." (FBIS-NES-95-034 21 Feb. 1995, pp. 79-80)
The Xinhua News Agency. 16 February
1995. "Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Ready to Defend." (NEXIS)
_____. 3 November 1994. "Afghan Refugees
Call for Peace." (NEXIS)
Agence France Presse (AFP) [Hong Kong,
in English]. 16 February 1995. "Jalalabad Council Opposed to
Taleban Invasion." (FBIS-NES-95-033 17 Feb. 1995, p. 55)
_____. 4 February 1995. Herve Clerc.
"New Religious Movement Has Kabul in Its Sight." (NEXIS)
Deutsche Presse-Agentur [Hamburg]. 4
January 1995. "U.S. Envoy Visits Warring Leaders in Afghanistan."
(NEXIS)
Financial Times [London]. 16
February 1995. Farhan Bokhari. "Mysterious 'Talibans' at Kabul's
Gates." (NEXIS)
Voice of America []. 31 October 1994.
Douglas Bakshian. "Afghan Fighting." (WEBB)
al-Watan al-Arabi [Paris, in
Arabic]. 17 February 1995. "Taleban Official Details Movement's
Objectives." (FBIS-NES-95-034 21 Feb. 1995, pp. 79-80)
_____. 6 January 1995. "'New' Brand of
Mojahedin Rising." (FBIS-NES-95-036 23 Feb. 1995, pp. 63-65)
The Xinhua News Agency. 16 February
1995. "Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Ready to Defend." (NEXIS)