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Afghanistan’s 2019 elections (6): Presidential campaign kicks off amid uncertainty

The campaign to become Afghanistan’s new president will be launched later today. As 18 candidates approach the starting line, AAN researcher Ali Yawar Adili looks at lingering doubts that the election will actually happen, at the rules on campaigning, and the divisions and splits in the various political parties that have taken place in the […]

28 Jul 2019 Ali Yawar Adili • Political Landscape

The disputed election of the Wolesi Jirga’s speaker: A story of a balance of power, political allegiance and money

The Wolesi Jirga – the lower house of Afghanistan’s parliament – has, at last, been able to elect its speaker and the rest of its administrative board. This took place more than two months after the house was inaugurated and following several weeks of controversy that followed an extremely close and disputed run-off in the […]

22 Jul 2019 Ali Yawar Adili • Rohullah Sorush • Political Landscape

Beginning of a New Era at the AIHRC: Nine fresh commissioners

The National Unity Government has finally, after 13 painful months mulling the matter over, appointed nine new commissioners to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). The new chair is Shaharzad Akbar, a well-known human rights activist, who has served as a deputy at the National Security Council on peace, protection of civilians and fallen […]

20 Jul 2019 Ehsan Qaane • Rights and Freedoms

The Two Faces of the Fatemiyun (II): The women behind the fighters

Existing studies on the Fatemiyun have focused on the Afghan men fighting for the Iran-backed government in Syria. The women behind the fighters – wives, mothers and sisters – have remained invisible, despite the fact that many fighters decided to go to Syria with family concerns in mind. Based on interviews with ten women in […]

16 Jul 2019 Mohsen Hamidi • Regional Relations

AAN Q&A: What came out of the Doha intra-Afghan conference?

Representatives of Afghanistan’s warring parties and civil society met at a peace conference in Qatar’s capital Doha on 7-8 July 2019. They all participated ‘in their personal capacities’ in order to circumvent the Taleban’s rejection of direct talks with the Afghan government. The conference that took place behind closed doors ended with a joint final […]

11 Jul 2019 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace

Resolution of Intra Afghan Peace Conference – Doha, July 2019 (Unofficial English Translation)

This is an unofficial translation of the resolution that was distributed in Dubai. It was initially prepared as an annexe to the AAN report “AAN Q&A: What came out of the Doha intra-Afghan conference?” published on 11 July on Doha Conference that took place between 7th to 8th July in 2019. Resolution of Intra Afghan […]

8 Jul 2019 Peace process

The Two Faces of the Fatemiyun (I): Revisiting the male fighters

Over the last eight years, thousands of Afghan men and some boys have fought on the side of the Iran-supported Assad government in Syria as members of the Fatemiyun group. Although they are sent to Syria from Iran and supported by the Iranian government, Tehran describes the group as “self-motivated.” This dispatch, which is the […]

8 Jul 2019 Mohsen Hamidi • Regional Relations

Doha Dialogue Participants List – July 2019

Names of participants from the Doha meeting on 7-8 July 2019 is available here: 20190707 Doha dialogue participants list

7 Jul 2019 Peace process

Before Doha 7: Afghanistan peace efforts recovering from a lull?

The seventh round of United States-Taleban talks in Doha is imminent. But US-Taleban negotiations in Doha for a negotiated solution to the Afghan war have been stalling in recent rounds, after some initial progress. So far they also still exclude the third key actor, the Afghan government. Parties in the so-called intra-Afghan dialogue have also […]

29 Jun 2019 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace

Thematic Dossier XXII: Afghan migration to Europe and beyond (2)

The subject of Afghans trying to migrate to Europe and beyond may have dropped out of the headlines in the last couple of years, but AAN has continued to follow their stories. Getting into Europe and then getting across eastern Europe into the west has become much more difficult since we published our first thematic […]

25 Jun 2019 AAN Team • Dossiers

Afghanistan’s 2019 Elections (5): Slow preparations for a high-stake election

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has announced the new electoral calendar and started a 22-day top up voter registration process across Afghanistan. The announcement of the electoral calendar involved several key decisions, including that the IEC will hold only the presidential vote on 28 September 2019, that it will not change the electoral system ahead […]

17 Jun 2019 Ali Yawar Adili • Political Landscape

One Land, Two Rules (7): Delivering public services in insurgency-affected Andar district in Ghazni province

Andar district in southern Ghazni province, which has had a shadow Taleban administration since 2007, has been under virtually complete Taleban control since October 2018. The Afghan government continues to provide education and health services despite the fact that all of Andar’s government offices have relocated to Ghazni city, while the Taleban supervise their work. […]

13 Jun 2019 Fazl Rahman Muzhary • Economy, Development, Environment

Civilians at Greater Risk from Pro-government Forces: While peace seems more elusive?

After a Ramadan stained with violence, peace seems remote. Both sides have intensified the tempo of the conflict, with civilians paying a heavy price. While the Taleban appear to be exercising more care with some tactics that protect civilians, they continue to unlawfully target civilians with others, as recent attacks demonstrate. The US and Afghan […]

9 Jun 2019 Jelena Bjelica • Rachel Reid • Rights and Freedoms

Eid al-Fitr Mubarak from AAN to All Our Readers

Eid al-Fitr Mubarak! The AAN team would like to wish a happy and peaceful Eid al-Fitr to friends and readers, to all Muslims around the world and particularly the people of Afghanistan. We hope the coming days of Eid bring happiness and joy to all. AAN hopes Afghans can celebrate this Eid as peacefully as […]

4 Jun 2019 AAN Team • Context and Culture

One Land, Two Rules (6): Delivering public services in insurgency-affected Nad Ali district of Helmand province

In opium-rich Nad Ali district, public service provision is poor. The district is roughly divided between the government and the Taleban and they continue to clash over control of population, territory and roads. Although only the government and NGOs fund public services, the Taleban exert considerable control over what is delivered in their areas, determining […]

2 Jun 2019 Ali Mohammad Sabawoon • Economy, Development, Environment

A Snapshot of the Week: Has Ghani consolidated his extended presidential term?

Kabul has been on heightened security alert, as the presidential term of President Ashraf Ghani approached its constitutional end on 1 Jawza (22 May 2019). The authorities responded to calls by the political opposition for Ghani to step down in favour of a caretaker government and threats that protestors would take to the streets by […]

26 May 2019 Ali Yawar Adili • Jelena Bjelica • Political Landscape

Afghanistan’s Anti-Corruption Institutions: Too many, and with too few results

Corruption in the Afghan state has blossomed and bloomed in the years since 2001. A report published by UNAMA today on Afghanistan’s fight against corruption highlights how the frequent changes in corruption-related legislation and a mushrooming of anti-graft institutions have done little to stop it; recent reductions in petty corruption – as shown by the […]

20 May 2019 Jelena Bjelica • Economy, Development, Environment

The Results of Afghanistan’s 2018 Parliamentary Elections: A new, but incomplete Wolesi Jirga

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has, at long last, almost seven months after the ballot was held, finalised the results of the 2018 parliamentary elections. The parliament itself is almost four years overdue – the elections should have been held in 2015. Even now, Afghanistan does not have a completely newly-elected Wolesi Jirga as Ghazni’s […]

17 May 2019 Ali Yawar Adili • Political Landscape

Rug Weavers and Bride Prices in the Northwest: Still expensive in spite of government and Taleban rules

Weddings in Afghanistan are often an expensive and ‘back-breaking’ affair. A government law to change the expensive wedding culture remains largely unimplemented and there seems to be little will to enforce it. The Taleban have also imposed an assortment of rules for controlling wedding costs in areas under their command, which vary depending on the […]

12 May 2019 Obaid Ali • Context and Culture

One Land, Two Rules (5): The polio vaccination gap

While researching the delivery of health, education and other services in districts affected by the insurgency, we found that three of our featured districts, in Helmand, Nangrahar and Kunduz provinces, had seen cases of polio leading to paralysis in the last five years. There is no cure for polio, but there is an effective vaccination, […]

9 May 2019 Jelena Bjelica • Economy, Development, Environment