“Displaced Afghans”: Crisis Group Recommendations

Great power invasions, intermittent civil wars, and recently, war on terror   forced millions of Afghans to flee their homeland over the years to the neighboring Iran, Pakistan and elsewhere in the region. The latest International Crisis Group report (Afghanistan: What Now for Refugees? ICG Asia Report, No. 175, August 31, 2009) has addressed this humanitarian crisis in length and breadth with recommendations primarily for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, the goverments of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. The report also charted out the role for the international community.

This in-depth report urged Afghan government to promote sustainable refugee repatriation by creating viable livelihood opportunities in the country itself. Also, it proposes steps to improve regional cooperation and enhance the protection of Afghans living in Iran and Pakistan. Admitting that the UNHCR cannot resolve the mammoth crisis on its own, the report suggests that the UN agency should support a safe, dignified and sustainable refugee return and ensure continued refugee protection in Iran and Pakistan.

What should the international community do about it? The report suggests:

Enhance the capacity of Afghanistan’s police, customs and documentation-issuing authorities to deliver travel documentation in an efficient and impartial manner. Make investment in rural development and agriculture a major priority for economic development. Recognise Iran as a legitimate stakeholder in Afghanistan, and assist in the creation of a framework that improves the capacity of Kabul, Tehran and Islamabad to manage population movements in a way that is internationally acceptable and is consistent with the reality of historical Afghan mobility.

For a complete report, Read Here.

Posted by Animesh Roul on August 31, 2009. Respond »

Afghanistan: Ballot, Bullet and the Shape of Things to Come

The trouble ridden Afghanistan is once again observing presidential election almost after five years and for the second time since 2001, amid widespread terrorist violence and corruption charges against the government (See, BBC report on fraud and abuses) that overshadow the much awaited poll. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has among many world leaders has urged the people (women included) of Afghanistan to cast their ballot to strengthen the democratic institutions.

Afghanistan goes to poll (August 20, Thursday) to elect a President and 420 Councillors. Over 300, 000 NATO forces and Afghan army soldiers have been deployed to oversee security during the poll and to give security cover at around 6,500 polling stations spreading over 364 districts, in 34 provinces. There are three frontrunners and couple of women candidate for the President’s post. They are incumbent president Hamid Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister, Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister, Salam Rocketi, a former Taliban commander and Frozan Fana, an exiled physician and among two women candidates who are running for the highest post. The Afghan elections have also witnessed the reemergence of warlords (e.g. Abdul Rashid Dostum and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar) in the Afghan’s political landscape.

As expected, the Taliban forces are stepping up violence to put pressure on the general public and at the same time they target the government, tagging the poll as illegal. Rocket attacks on the Presidential palace and police headquarters days before the election were more than mere symbolic acts of terrorism. Taliban elements distributed leaflets in Kandahar and other strongholds, threatening people to stay away from the poll:

This is to inform respected residents that you must not participate in the elections so as not to become a victim of our operations, because we will use new tactics. All voters were allies of the Afghan government and foreign forces and therefore, enemies of Islam.

While the scare tactic by Taliban militants is intact only to scare away people from the ongoing democratic process by carrying out sporadic violence, they too assassinated provincial council candidates to disrupt the poll process. At least three provincial candidates have been killed so far.

As things stand now, it seems Karzai might be a winner for another term. However, the complete failure of Karzai government to tackle the Taliban menace in Afghanistan would go against his chances. Again, looking at the Abdulah’s strong anti-Taliban and anti-Warlord postures and a much needed ‘progressive outlook’ for good governance, it would not be unrealistic to say that he has a fair chance in this election too.

Looking back into history: Almost eight years ago, I spoke to many experts on Afghanistan affairs to find out what ails Afghanistan in real terms and what would be the future of the country. At that time I probed on the possible contributions of International community in the process of reconstruction, about the most plausible model of reconstruction and last but not the least, the role of the US and India in rebuilding the war ravaged country. I still find little has changed so far on the ground since then. You may read here the complete transcript of those interviews:  The Reconstruction of Afghanistan. Also, you may like to scan through an investigative report (coauthoured; published in May 2002) here: “Afghanistan: Back To Beginning”

Posted by Animesh Roul on August 20, 2009. Respond »