Month: May 2023

Between wish and reality: Evaluation of the Dutch contribution to Resolute Support

Netherlands government, March 2023 Full report and summary in English. This is conclusion no. 1: “The main objective of RSM — to create a self-reliant Afghan security apparatus that could permanently resist the Taliban — was not realised. The immediate reason for this was the unilateral decision by the US to withdraw all of its […]

30 May 2023

Gender Persecution in Afghanistan: Could it come under the ICC’s Afghanistan investigation?

Ehsan Qaane •

Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taleban have enacted successive laws and orders which apply to women and girls, but not to men and boys. Earlier this month, United Nations experts reported their assessment that these measures violated women and girls’ rights to education, work, freedom of movement, health, bodily autonomy and […]

26 May 2023

The Afghan Economy Since the Taleban Took Power: A dossier of reports on economic calamity, state finances and consequences for households

Kate Clark • AAN Team •

When the Taleban captured power on 15 August 2021, the Afghan economy suffered sudden and catastrophic damage from all sides. Foreign aid fell away, United Nations and United States sanctions applied suddenly not to an armed movement but to the country’s government, Afghanistan’s foreign reserves were frozen, the banking sector paralysed, and the web of […]

14 May 2023

Der Westen hat eine Bringschuld den Menschen in Afghanistan gegenüber

Augsburger Allgemeine, 11 May 2023 Interview with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig (in German) about latest developments in Afghanistan, China’s role there and the West’s options – answer: first to acknowledge that it bears part of the responsibility for the Taleban’s return to power and not abandon Afghanistan’s people.

11 May 2023

What Do the Taleban Spend Afghanistan’s Money On? Government expenditure under the Islamic Emirate (Amended)

Kate Clark • Roxanna Shapour •

When our readers told us about some errors in our report: ‘What Do The Taleban Spend Afghanistan’s Money On? Government expenditure under the Islamic Emirate,” we started checking and cross-checking our sources and the report. We found that several budget lines in the operational budget for the security sector in the 1400 (2021) Q4 mini-budget […]

10 May 2023

Lashing, Beating, Stoning: UNAMA tracks corporal punishment and the death penalty in Afghanistan

Kate Clark •

A new United Nations report on capital and corporal punishment has detailed the widespread use of corporal punishment delivered ad hoc by non-judicial authorities, such as the police and ‘Vice and Virtue’ officials. It also documents a rise in corporal punishment ordered by judges since November 2022 when the Taleban’s Supreme Leader encouraged the use […]

8 May 2023

A Ban, a Resolution and a Meeting: A look at the May 2023 meeting in Doha and the reactions to it

Kate Clark • Roxanna Shapour •

The 1-2 May 2023 gathering in Doha, hosted by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, brought together the representatives of 21 countries – the five permanent members of the Security Council, major donors and regional players, plus the European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. They spent two days talking about how to engage with […]

5 May 2023

Zukunft der UN-Mission am Hindukusch: UN beraten über Umgang mit Taliban

Tageszeitung, 2 May 2023 Op-ed by AAN’s Thomas Ruttig looking at the UN-sponsored meeting of Afghanistan special envoys in Doha that discussed a strategy vis-a-vis the Taleban regime after its ban on Afghan women working for the organisation and NGOs (in German).

2 May 2023