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Afghan Exodus: Can the Afghan government deal with more returnees from Europe?

In the first nine months of this year, over 5,000 Afghans voluntary returned to Afghanistan from Europe. The recent signing of an agreement between Afghanistan and the European Union to allow deportations of those who have not been accepted as asylum seekers means the numbers of Afghans returning from Europe will rise. AAN’s Jelena Bjelica […]

31 Oct 2016 Jelena Bjelica • Fazl Rahman Muzhary • Migration

The Politics of Opposition: A challenge to the National Unity Government?

The failure to implement its own agreement and the continuing rift within the National Unity Government have created an opportunity for political opposition groups across the spectrum to voice their criticism of the government. In the past, Afghanistan’s political opposition has been made up of various councils and fronts, often associated with prominent powerbrokers and […]

27 Oct 2016 Ali Yawar Adili • Lenny Linke • Political Landscape

The Bride Price: The Afghan tradition of paying for wives

Weddings are hugely expensive affairs in Afghanistan, with excessive costs for wedding halls, lavish meals and usually a bride price. The bride price is the money paid by the groom’s family for the bride to her family. It is a contested tradition that is viewed as having no foundation in Islamic law and does not […]

25 Oct 2016 Fazl Rahman Muzhary • Context and Culture

With an Active Cell in Kabul, ISKP Tries to Bring Sectarianism to the Afghan War

With its publically claimed attack on Afghan Shia mourners in Kabul on the eve of Ashura, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) was clearly attempting to add a toxic sectarianism to the Afghan conflict. The attack, which killed 19 people, followed two other ISKP attacks, on a political demonstration by (largely Shia) Hazaras in July […]

19 Oct 2016 Borhan Osman • War and Peace

The Taleban Assault on Kunduz city: Déjà vu, but why?

A little over a year after the temporary fall of Kunduz city to the Taleban, the city has become a battleground again. On 3 October 2016, the Taleban entered during a massive assault from three directions. Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), supported by US forces and air power, are battling to recapture the areas they […]

12 Oct 2016 Obaid Ali • War and Peace

EU and Afghanistan Get Deal on Migrants: Disagreements, pressure and last minute politics

Finally, after a year of negotiations and some last minute hurdles – including on the Afghan side refusals to sign and an attempt to involve parliament – the European Union and Afghanistan have reached a ‘readmission’ agreement on how to return Afghans who have travelled to Europe and failed in their claims for asylum. President […]

6 Oct 2016 Jelena Bjelica • Migration

Thematic Dossier XIII: Still (not) dealing with the Kabul Bank scandal

One of the very first acts of the National Unity Government was to reopen the case of the massive Kabul Bank scandal. President Ghani later referred to this portfolio as one of his government’s “signaling priorities,” implying that progress on this issue would be indicative of the seriousness with which his government tackled corruption. Now, […]

3 Oct 2016 AAN Team • Dossiers

Thematic Dossier XII: Background Reading for the 2016 Brussels Conference

On 5 October 2016, the Government of Afghanistan and the European Union will co-host the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan. At the conference, governments and international organisations will scrutinise both the Afghan reform efforts and the efficiency and sustainability of international support to Afghanistan. There are several controversial topics set to be discussed at the conference […]

30 Sep 2016 AAN Team • Dossiers

The Brussels Conference on Afghanistan: Between aid and migration

The Afghan Government and the EU will co-host the Brussels conference on 5 October 2016. A couple of side events will take place on 4 October, and a high-level dialogue on migration is scheduled for 3 October. Around 70 countries and 30 international organisations will come together in the Belgian capital to review the achievements […]

30 Sep 2016 AAN Team • International Engagement

Peace With Hekmatyar: What does it mean for battlefield and politics?

The peace deal signed today by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb-e Islami, and President Ashraf Ghani, has been hailed by the Afghan government as the first major peace achievement of the last fifteen years. However, expectations should be tempered. Given Hezb-e Islami’s almost total absence on the battlefield, the deal is unlikely to significantly lower […]

29 Sep 2016 Borhan Osman • War and Peace