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The ‘Humvee Bomb’ Series: The October wave of Taleban attacks in 2017 context

In October 2017, Afghans experienced another particularly violent period. A series of high-profile insurgent attacks took place almost simultaneously in Kabul and five provinces. Provincial and district centres were targeted, as well as ANSF installations and Sunni and Shia mosques. The overall number of people killed in these attacks is estimated to be over 200, […]

7 Nov 2017 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace

One Step Closer to War Crimes Trials (2): ICC Prosecutor requests authorisation to investigate

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has requested judicial authorisation to open an investigation into crimes allegedly committed in connection to the Afghan armed conflict. If the judges of the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber agree, there could now be investigations of the Taleban for many types of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and Afghan […]

5 Nov 2017 Ehsan Qaane • Kate Clark • Rights and Freedoms

A Son of Nangrahar Paints the Sea: Afghan artwork from Guantanamo

As an art exhibition featuring the works of eight current and former Guantanamo detainees, Yemeni, Algerian, Pakistani and Kuwaiti, is now showing in New York, we thought we would look at the paintings and sculptures of an Afghan who is still in the prison camp, who is not featured in the exhibition. Assad (known in […]

2 Nov 2017 Kate Clark • Context and Culture

Education, an Ideal Corrupted: An assessment of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education

The Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC), an independent anti-corruption body in Afghanistan, recently released its ‘vulnerability to corruption’ assessment of the Ministry of Education. The assessment points to 36 different types of corruption within the education sector, highlighting that corruption has become endemic in the last 10 to 15 years and that malpractice is systemic […]

29 Oct 2017 Jelena Bjelica • Economy, Development, Environment

CIA-proxy militias, CIA-drones in Afghanistan: “Hunt and kill” déjà vu

Reporting from the United States has said that the CIA is expanding its operations in Afghanistan, running Afghan militias to “hunt and kill” Taleban and “poised” to start flying armed drones. The CIA has run Afghan militias in the past; they were notorious for human rights abuses and for not being subject to the state […]

26 Oct 2017 Kate Clark • War and Peace

Remembering Nancy Hatch Dupree 2: Nancy in the words of others

It is 40 days since the historian, archivist and activist on behalf of Afghans, Nancy Hatch Dupree, died, aged 89. She had spent decades of her life in Afghanistan or, like many Afghans, in exile in neighbouring Pakistan. She was the author of guidebooks on Afghanistan and a publisher of books. Then, first with her […]

21 Oct 2017 AAN Team • Context and Culture

Remembering Nancy Hatch Dupree 1: Nancy in her own words

It is 40 days since the historian, archivist and activist on behalf of Afghans, Nancy Hatch Dupree, died, aged 89. As a tribute to this remarkable woman, we are publishing two pieces. The first is an interview which Nancy gave in 2007 to Markus Hakansson for a book authored by Nancy and published by the […]

20 Oct 2017 AAN Team • Context and Culture

Jihadi Commuters: How the Taleban cross the Durand Line

The Taleban use Pakistan as a sanctuary: most of the movement’s leaders are settled there and it is the movement’s preferred place for training, meeting and as a rear base. It is also the prime destination for ‘rest and recuperation’ (R&R) and the rehabilitation of wounded fighters. But how do the Taleban move between the […]

17 Oct 2017 Borhan Osman • Fazl Rahman Muzhary • Regional Relations

UNAMA Documents Slight Decrease in Civilian Casualties: Indications of new trends in the Afghan war

There has been a six per cent decrease in the number of civilians killed and wounded in the conflict this year compared to the first nine months of 2016 – a year which saw record highs in civilian harm. The latest UNAMA report on civilian casualties provides, as always, sobering statistics of how Afghan civilians are being […]

12 Oct 2017 Kate Clark • War and Peace

Mehwar-e Mardom-e Afghanistan: New opposition group with an ambiguous link to Karzai

 A new political group called ‘Mehwar-e Mardom-e Afghanistan’ has emerged in Afghanistan’s crowded political field. It presents itself as being in opposition to the National Unity Government and has called for “a return to the constitution.” The group has been seen from the outset as pro-Karzai. He, meanwhile, seems to have intensified his attempts (once […]

11 Oct 2017 Ali Yawar Adili • Political Landscape