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Less Money, More Conditionality? Stalled peace, Covid-19 and corruption foretell a sombre Afghanistan donor conference

On 23 and 24 November, the 2020 donor conference for Afghanistan takes place, which for the country matters more than ever. Rumours abound about cuts to foreign assistance, at a time when Afghanistan faces a stalled peace process and intensifying poverty and violence. Donors are concerned about the shape of the future state and corruption, with the pressure […]

17 Nov 2020 Christine Roehrs • AAN Team • Ali Yawar Adili • International Engagement

The Biden Presidency: What choices for Afghan policy remain?

As of 20 January, the United States should have a new president, as Joe Biden takes over from Donald Trump. Decisions taken in Washington have, for the last 20 years, been fundamental to what happens in Afghanistan, and that is especially the case now. Biden takes power in the wake of President Trump’s decision to […]

12 Nov 2020 Kate Clark • International Engagement

AAN Obituary: Mahbuba Hoquqmal, ‘friend of the law’ (1944-2020)

Mahbuba Hoquqmal was one of the most important legal scholars in Afghanistan. As a participant in two loya jirgas and with her working life dedicated to teaching and legal reform, she shaped the country’s constitutional history. She particularly focussed on the improvement of the legal situation of Afghan women. On 30 October 2020, she died […]

3 Nov 2020 Thomas Ruttig • Political Landscape

Behind the Statistics: Drop in civilian casualties masks increased Taleban violence

Six weeks after intra-Afghan talks began in Doha, the Taleban and government teams are still arguing about protocol and what should be on the agenda. Meanwhile, UNAMA’s third quarterly report in 2020 on the protection of civilians in the conflict, published today, shows that, since the talks began, civilian casualties caused by the two parties […]

27 Oct 2020 Kate Clark • War and Peace

Konfliktporträt Afghanistan

Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, 29 September 2020 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig has been writing a ‘conflict portrait’ of Afghanistan for the website of the German Federal Centre for Political Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, bpb) for several years now. the bpb is a major source for teachers and school students. Here is the latest version, update […]

19 Oct 2020 Thomas Ruttig • External publications

Living with the Taleban (1): Local experiences in Andar district, Ghazni province

Today, we publish the first of three studies exploring how the Taleban rule, and the impact of that rule on residents. Given that the talks in Doha may presage an Afghan state with key positions held by the Taleban or that, at the very least, the pattern of the Taleban controlling particular localities will continue, understanding […]

19 Oct 2020 Sahil Afghan • War and Peace

The Intra-Afghan Peace Talks: Warring parties negotiate, victims of war are excluded

A clear divide has emerged in the Afghan government on the role of war victims in the peace process. In a surprising move, President Ashraf Ghani recently suggested that Afghanistan should follow the Spanish model – better known as the ‘pact of forgetting’. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Peace and members of the Afghan negotiating team […]

16 Oct 2020 Ehsan Qaane • Rights and Freedoms

National Victim-Centred Network’s resolution on war victims’ rights

Presented on 14 September 2020, as a result of the Conference of War Victims’ families and relatives on the start of Intra-Afghan Peace Talks “The entire peace process must be victim-centered, just and aimed at healing the wounds of victims of war and avoiding future recurrence of violence and crime.” Resolution Conference of War Victims’ families and relatives on the start of Intra-Afghan […]

16 Oct 2020 Peace process

Covid-19 in Afghanistan (8): The political economy repercussions of Covid-19 and the aid response

In addition to its disastrous public health effects on Afghanistan, the Covid-19 pandemic is harming the country’s economy and has pushed more people into poverty. Covid is also creating a sizable hole in the national budget, diverting precious aid resources away from development and any possible ‘peace dividend’ and complicating rather than simplifying current political […]

14 Oct 2020 Bill Byrd • Economy, Development, Environment

Taleban Opportunism and ANSF Frustration: How the Afghan conflict has changed since the Doha agreement

Those ‘living the war’ in Afghanistan, both civilians and combatants, have had markedly different experiences in the last seven months depending on where they are in the country. Those in Taleban-controlled areas have seen unexpected peace since the United States and Taleban signed their agreement in Doha after the US largely halted air attacks and […]

12 Oct 2020 Andrew Quilty • War and Peace