The End of the Jirga: Strong Words and Not Much Controversy The Consultative Peace Loya Jirga has ended in Kabul with reports back from the fifty committees of delegates, a speech from President Ghani and a communiqué which he said is now the government’s ‘roadmap’. Key points emerging from the jirga were calls for an ‘intra-Afghan’ dialogue with the Afghan government in charge, for a ceasefire and […] 3 May 2019 Kate Clark • Ali Yawar Adili • Ehsan Qaane • Political Landscape
Afghanistan’s 2019 Elections (4): What will happen when the presidential tenure runs out on 22 May? The Supreme Court has ruled that President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani and his vice-presidents shall continue to serve until the election of a new president. This ruling comes in the wake of mounting pressure by a number of presidential candidates and their political backers, who have called on the government leaders to step down after 22 […] 30 Apr 2019 Ali Yawar Adili • Political Landscape
AAN Q&A: Between ‘Peace Talks’ and Elections – The 2019 Consultative Peace Loya Jirga The four-day Consultative Peace Loya Jirga will commence on Monday, 29 April 2019. This assembly – the sixth loya jirga since 2001 – was convened by President Ghani with the aim of discussing the framework for negotiations with the Taleban. Originally scheduled to start on 17 March, it had to be delayed for organisational reasons. […] 26 Apr 2019 Thomas Ruttig • Jelena Bjelica • War and Peace
Better, But Still Bad: UNAMA releases new report on the torture of security detainees UNAMA has released its latest two-yearly report on the treatment of conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan and finds perpetrators of torture in the Afghan National Security Forces are still enjoying immunity from punishment. Overall rates are down, especially in the Afghan intelligence agency, the NDS, but the proportion of those detained giving credible accounts of torture […] 17 Apr 2019 Kate Clark • Rights and Freedoms
Women and Afghan Peace Talks: ‘Peace consensus’ gathering left Afghan women without reassurance One of the recurrent themes around the US-Taleban negotiations to end the Afghan war (so far without participation of the Afghan government) is the demand of Afghan women for “meaningfully participation” in the preparations for inclusive peace talks. This expectation also figured at a national consensus gathering (ejma) in Kabul in late February this year. […] 15 Apr 2019 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace
ICC rejects war crimes investigation in Afghanistan: Continuing impunity for perpetrators, no voice yet for victims The International Criminal Court (ICC) has decided not to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity that have allegedly taken place on Afghan soil. The Court’s Chief Prosecutor, after finding that there was evidence of the Taleban committing a range of crimes, including murder and intentionally attacking civilians, and of Afghan government forces and the […] 13 Apr 2019 Kate Clark • Rights and Freedoms
Why the Taleban Should Read the Afghan Constitution As talks between the US and the Taleban move forward, we are starting to see the contours and obstacles to peace in Afghanistan. One of the possible obstacles to reaching an agreement is the Taleban’s view that Afghanistan’s current constitution is unsuitable and unacceptable. Ghizaal Haress, a prominent Afghan lawyer and a member of the […] 9 Apr 2019 Ghizaal Haress • Political Landscape
Afghanistan Analyst Bibliography 2019 Today, we publish an important work, a bibliography of Afghanistan. It is intended to be an up-to-date resource for studying and researching contemporary Afghanistan, particularly the post-1979 period. The author, Christian Bleuer, began compiling this bibliography in 2004/05 when, as a graduate student, he became increasingly frustrated with trying to find sources. Initially, it was […] 1 Apr 2019 AAN Guests • Context and Culture
Afghanistan Analyst Bibliography 2019 In April 2019, we published an important work, a bibliography of Afghanistan. It is intended to be an up-to-date resource for studying and researching contemporary Afghanistan, particularly the post-1979 period. The author, Christian Bleuer, began compiling this bibliography in 2004/05 when, as a graduate student, he became increasingly frustrated with trying to find sources. Initially, […] 1 Apr 2019 Christian Bleuer • AAN Bibliography
One Land, Two Rules (4): Delivering public services in embattled Achin district in Nangrahar province Achin district in the south of Afghanistan’s key eastern province of Nangrahar has been heavily fought over by the Taleban, ISKP and government and United States forces. The delivery of public services has been hampered, helped or abolished depending on who has been in charge at any given time; ISKP banned almost all public services […] 25 Mar 2019 Rohullah Sorush • S Reza Kazemi • Economy, Development, Environment
Happy Nawruz: May every day be Nawruz for AAN readers AAN wishes a happy new year and joyful Nawruz to all its readers. Afghans and many others across the region will be celebrating the first day of 1398, also the first day of spring, with family visits, special food and picnics. In Kabul, some will go to the Sakhi Shrine, while many others will congregate […] 21 Mar 2019 AAN Team • Context and Culture
AAN Obituary: Muhammad Sharif Fayez (1944-2019) – a higher education reformer, come too early or maybe too late With Muhammad Sharif Fayez, another member of the first post-Taleban Afghan cabinet has passed away. In this cabinet, Fayez served as Minister of Higher Education from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, he became the founding president of the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), which he chaired until 2006. As president emeritus until his passing, he […] 14 Mar 2019 Michael Daxner • Context and Culture
Commemoration in the Basement: Kabul’s hidden war victims museum (2) With the Afghanistan Centre for Memories and Dialogue, a new museum dedicated to the victims of the Afghan wars of the last four decades and their families has opened in Kabul in February this year. It was initially supposed to be housed in the capital’s landmark Behzad cinema but now is confined to a provisional […] 11 Mar 2019 Thomas Ruttig • Rights and Freedoms
What’s in a Woman’s Name? No name, no public persona Across Afghanistan, women are not addressed or referred to by their names in public. Even on wedding invitations and tombstones, they are typically referred to as the daughter, wife or mother of their father, husband or eldest son. Many Afghans believe naming a woman in public dishonours her. Others are arguing that a tradition that […] 8 Mar 2019 Rohullah Sorush • Rights and Freedoms
AAN Co-director, Thomas Ruttig discusses 30 years of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan (in German) – March 2019 AAN Co-director, Thomas Ruttig discusses the 30 years of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan with ARD. 6 Mar 2019 Thomas Ruttig • Podcasts
Afghanistan’s 2019 Elections (3): New electoral commissioners, amendments to the electoral law President Ashraf Ghani has appointed new commissioners and heads of secretariats for both electoral commissions, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Election Complaints Commission (ECC). This follows a busy few weeks in which the election law was amended, all the old electoral commissioners were dismissed and new electoral officers voted in by the presidential […] 5 Mar 2019 Ali Yawar Adili • Political Landscape
AAN Co-director, Thomas Ruttig discusses the possible ‘peace in sight’ in Afghanistan after 40 years (in German) – March 2019 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig discusses the possible ‘peace in sight’ in Afghanistan after 40 years of conflict with Lage Der Nation (in German). 4 Mar 2019 Thomas Ruttig • Podcasts
Guide to Kabul’ Police Districts In maps and text, AAN charts Kabul’s 22 police districts, their history, landmarks and architecture, population and security. The full report can be downloaded here: Kabul Police Districts. 2 Mar 2019 Others
Kabul Unpacked: A Geographical Guide to a Metropolis In The Making Today, AAN publishes a new report, “Kabul Unpacked: A Geographical Guide to a Metropolis In The Making”. In maps and text, Author Fabrizio Foschini charts Kabul’s 22 police districts, their history, landmarks and architecture, population and security. We hope this guide will be a go-to, easily-used backgrounder for a city that many of us love, […] 2 Mar 2019 Fabrizio Foschini • Special Reports
Fabrizio Foschini discusses his new report mapping Kabul’s 22 police districts – March 2019 Fabrizio Foschini, author of the new AAN report, “Kabul Unpacked: A Geographical Guide to a Metropolis In The Making” discusses the history and development of Kabul city. 2 Mar 2019 Fabrizio Foschini • Podcasts
