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One Land, Two Rules (10): Three case studies on Taleban sales of state land

As the Taleban have expanded their areas of control around the country, anecdotal reports have been popping up of Taleban commissions and commanders in several provinces selling state land. However, a closer look into the three most prominent examples – Helmand, Uruzgan and Takhar – reveals a murkier picture than media reports and claims by government […]

15 Apr 2020 Fazl Rahman Muzhary • Economy, Development, Environment

Elephants in Afghanistan: Surveying the history of a pachyderm cultural frontier

Elephants (pil in Pashto and fil in Dari) are not indigenous to Afghanistan. However, they have had a significant presence in and impact on the country. The first of them seem to have arrived in 305 BC when an Indian ruler sent 500 war elephants to the Hellenistic empire, which then stretched across western Asia, in exchange for […]

11 Apr 2020 Shah Mahmoud Hanifi • Context and Culture

Voices from the Districts, the Violence Mapped (2): Assessing the conflict a month after the US-Taleban agreement

It is now four weeks since Afghans enjoyed eight days of reduced violence in the lead up to the signing of the United States-Taleban agreement. The Taleban announced almost immediately afterwards that their fight would continue against the government, although not against foreign forces. US officials spoke of an understanding with the Taleban that a […]

8 Apr 2020 Kate Clark • War and Peace

Topdara-stupan berättar om det buddistiska arvet

SCA/SAK, 6 April 2020 Jelena Bjelica’s AAN report, The Largest Standing Stupa in Afghanistan: A short history of the Buddhist site at Topdara, has been translated (and shortened) into a version in Swedish.

6 Apr 2020 Jelena Bjelica • External publications

Blood in the Abode of Peace: The attack on Kabul’s Sikhs

At a time when Afghans face a looming pandemic and worsening conflict, one recent event has stood out: the attack on the Sikh gurdwara in the Old City of Kabul one week ago. It was an unprecedented, sectarian attack on a peaceful, non-Muslim religious minority. 26 people were killed and 11 wounded, men, women and one child. […]

1 Apr 2020 Fabrizio Foschini • War and Peace

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

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 S Reza Kazemi • Economy, Development, Environment

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

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 Thomas Ruttig • Economy, Development, Environment

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

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 Ehsan Qaane • Rights and Freedoms

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

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 AAN Team • War and Peace

Happy Nawruz: Wishing our readers a healthy and blessed 1399

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 AAN Team • Context and Culture