Month: March 2020

Covid-19 in Afghanistan (2): Herat city between disregard and compliance

S Reza Kazemi •

With around two-thirds of Afghanistan’s confirmed positive Covid-19 cases thus far, the western province of Herat is now known as the path through which the coronavirus spread from neighbouring Iran. But how have residents and government in Herat city, the provincial centre, reacted to the disease in day-to-day life? Based on observations and conversations, AAN […]

30 Mar 2020

Was bringt der Friedensplan für Afghanistan?

ARD-Weltspiegel, 29 March 2020 The foreign correspondents’ magazine of Germany’s leading public TV network has two quotes from AAN’s Thomas Ruttig in this report about the attempts to reach a peace settlement in Afghanistan. Watch the video in German here.

29 Mar 2020

Covid-19 in Afghanistan (1): No large outbreak yet in the country

Thomas Ruttig •

Afghanistan has so far been moderately affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with fewer than 100 people testing positive and four confirmed fatalities. There are strong indications that these cases may have been seeded by the outbreak in neighbouring Iran, via Afghans who returned from that country. AAN’s Thomas Ruttig has compiled an overview of what […]

27 Mar 2020

A Rift over Afghan Aid Imperils Prospects for Peace

USIP, 16 September 2019 In the context of Barnett Rubin’s call not to abandon Afghanistan in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, also read this background on pressure on aid for Afghanistan: … international discussions continue on the economic aid that will be vital to stabilizing Afghanistan under any peace deal. Yet the Afghan government […]

26 Mar 2020

An Ailing America [and everyone else] Must Not Abandon Afghanistan

Foreign Policy, 26 March 2020 This article is important as it lays out the already dire socio-economic situation of Afghanistan and possible consequences of a complete US aid cut, but also for its call to go multilateral, involve the UN and ease Iran sanctions to advance peace in Afghanistan.

26 Mar 2020

Afghan War Crimes Trials in The Netherlands: Who are the suspects and what have been the outcomes?

Ehsan Qaane •

At least six Afghan, or Afghan-Dutch, citizens have been investigated for war crimes and torture in Afghanistan by the Dutch authorities. Two were found guilty and received prison sentences, one was acquitted, one died during the investigation, one was investigated but released due to insufficient evidence, and the sixth is still under investigation. All were […]

25 Mar 2020

Afghanistans Parallelregierung: Die Taliban haben sich gemäßigt, weil sie an die Macht wollen

Tageszeitung, 25 March 2020 Op-ed by AAN’s Thomas Ruttig for the Berlin-based daily, looking at changes in the post-2001 Taleban movement, based on AAN research (the “One Land, Two Rules” series)

24 Mar 2020

Die Rückkehr der Taliban

Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 23 March 2020 The leading Swiss daily quotes two AAN colleagues in this analysis of the “returning” Taleban movement, Thomas Ruttig and Fazl Muzhary, and an AAN paper, by Alex Strick van Linschoten and Anand Gopal, in about the ideology of the Taleban: Die Schlüsselfiguren der Bewegung seien erzkonservative Dörfler gewesen, die mit dem […]

23 Mar 2020

Voices from the Districts, the Violence Mapped (1): What has happened since the reduction in violence ended?

AAN Team •

When the United States and Taleban signed their agreement on 29 February 2020, the accompanying eight-day long reduction in violence officially ended. Although many had hoped the violence would remain down, the Taleban said their war would continue, no longer against foreign forces, but against those of the Afghan government. In this report, we look […]

21 Mar 2020

Happy Nawruz: Wishing our readers a healthy and blessed 1399

AAN Team •

Nawruz, the ancient and popular festival marking the start of the new year and the beginning of spring, will be observed this year with growing worries. Many people will be restricting the normal festivities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nawruz also comes after the week-long reduction in violence in February, the United States-Taleban agreement, and […]

20 Mar 2020

Stillstand bei geplantem Gefangenenaustausch in Afghanistan

Deutsche Welle, 19 March 2020 The German language service of th German public international broadcaster quotes from AAN research by Ehsan Qaane on the disputed Afghan government-Taliban prisoners release: Derzeit lasse nur die afghanische Seite Kompromissbereitschaft erkennen, während die Taliban an ihrer Position festhielten, schreibt Ehsan Qaane von der Kabuler Denkfabrik Afghanistan Analysts Network. “Präsident Ghani […]

19 Mar 2020

[Paktika] Police officer accused of torture, extortion

Pajhwok Afghan News, 19 March 2020 Residents have accused the police chief for Wazikhwa district of southeastern Paktika province being involved in killing and beating innocent citizens, drug smuggling and extorting money from Hashish farmers. Arrest warrants have not been carried out. 1st Cor. Barat, 26, has before served as police commander for Janikhel district. He […]

19 Mar 2020