Month: February 2021

Judicial Independence in Afghanistan: Legal Framework and Practical Challenge

AREU, February 2021 A new paper authored by Shoaib Timory. In a government with a separation of powers, independence is an indispensable feature of the judiciary. In Afghanistan, this was recognised only in the Constitution of 1964 and the Constitution of 1987 before the current Constitution mapped out a range of measures necessary to keep the judiciary and […]

26 Feb 2021

Immer mehr zivile Opfer in Afghanistan

Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 26 February 2021 This article in the lading Swiss daily on the latest UNAMA civilian casualties report quotes from Kate Clark’s analysis of the report: Laut Kate Clarke vom Afghanistan Analysts Network haben die Aufständischen nach ihrem Erfolgserlebnis in Doha begonnen, langsam an der Gewaltspirale zu drehen, um zu testen, wie die USA […]

26 Feb 2021

Nach uns die Sintflut: Trumps löchriger Taliban-Deal

taz, 25 February 2021 Op-ed by AAN’s Thomas Ruttig looking at the February 2020 US-Taleban deal, saying that it has been designed to open doors for the Taleban, so that US troops could withdraw (in German, a short version of this AAN analysis).

25 Feb 2021

A Deal in the Mist: How much of the US-Taleban Doha agreement has been implemented?

Thomas Ruttig •

One year ago, on 29 February 2020, Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation at the US State Department, and Mullah Baradar, Taleban Deputy Leader for Political Affairs, signed the “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” in Doha. Simultaneously, representatives of the US and the Afghan government signed the similarly titled but less discussed “Joint Declaration between […]

25 Feb 2021

‘Shot at by both sides’: Families flee as Taliban battles for territory in Kandahar

The Guardian, 24 February 2021 A moving reportage on displacement and misery of Kandaharis effected by fighting in their province. This sentence tells it all: He and his wife, Khatima, buried their daughter at the roadside, instead of in the family plot.

24 Feb 2021

Töten mit selbst gebauten Sprengsätzen

ND, 23 February 2021 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig analyses the recent UNAMA civilian casualties report for the Berlin-based leftwing daily in German).

23 Feb 2021

Russia View of the Endgame in Afghanistan

Sputnik/Kyle Orton’s blog, 23 February 2021 This is the translation by Kyle Orton of the extremely interesting interview with Russia’s special Afghanistan envoy, Zamir Kabulov, conducted with the Tajik service of state-run Russian Sputnik news agency. It includes quotes like this one: We view the contemporary Taliban as a political and military movement in Afghanistan […]

23 Feb 2021

Civilian Casualties Worsened as Intra-Afghan Talks Began, says UNAMA’s 2020 report on the Protection of Civilians

Kate Clark •

UNAMA’s 2020 report civilian casualties in the Afghan conflict published today shows the overall number of civilians killed and injured fell by 15 per cent compared to 2019. Yet, for the first time since UNAMA began systematically documenting civilian casualties 12 years ago, they increased in the fourth quarter, driven especially by insurgent violence. Rather […]

23 Feb 2021

Anschläge, Dementis und Gespräche: US-Präsident Joe Biden überprüft den Taliban-Deal

Tageszeitung, 23 February 2021 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig’s op-ed for the Berlin-based daily on the resumption of the long-blocked intra-Afghan peace talks in Doha and the Biden administration’s announcement to ‘review’ the Doha troop withdrawal deal with the Taleban.

23 Feb 2021

Protest gegen Abschiebungen nach Afghanistan

ORF, 23 February 2021 A short statement by AAN’s Thomas Ruttig on the security situation in Afghanistan after Austria, Sweden and other European countries deported a group of rejected Afghan asylum seekers in a joint flight organised by the EU’s Frontex agency (after 14:00 min, in German).

23 Feb 2021

Afghanistan’s Ghani sees ‘window of opportunity’ for peace process

BBC, 22 February 2021 Lyse Doucet’s interview with Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, and more interesting then what the headline suggests. On her question if there was a peace deal and ceasefire in Afghanistan, would he step aside: “I have one criteria: holding of elections.” “Early elections?” “Elections.” “Does that have to come at the end […]

22 Feb 2021

Was braucht Afghanistan für einen dauerhaften Frieden?

Radio Eins, 19 February 2021 Listen to an interview with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig about perspectives for Afghans and Afghanistan’s after the US-Taleban troop withdrawal agreement (in German).

19 Feb 2021