We read a lot about women in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s all-women orchestra founded in 2014 performed at the World Economic Forum last January 2017 at Davos in Switzerland, Afghan women participated in Bamiyan’s international marathon, the Afghan Aviation Forces are counting always more women pilots, and an all-girls robotics team from Herat wins a top European competition. […]
The impact of drug addiction in Afghanistan is an issue to be faced ASAP
Suffering from decades of war, the drug addiction in Afghanistan is proving to be yet another problem the country needs to face in order to achieve peace and stability. The article was written by Mir Sayed Fawad Ahmad Alaie, a Former Research Officer at UNODC Afghanistan is one of the main drug producers in the world; […]
Bacha Bazi, the ugly life of Afghanistan’s “dancing boys”
The nefarious custom of “Bacha Bazi” has centuries of history in central Asia, but only Afghanistan kept it to the day. What is the practice of Bacha Bazi? Bacha means “boy”, while Bazi has two meanings, “dance” and “play”, but when the two words are used together they can have more than one meaning, such as “dancing […]
“Butcher of Kabul” removed from UN black list. Who is Gulbuddin Hekmatyar?
It’s recent news that Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, known as the butcher of Kabul and Rocket Yar, rocket lover, has been removed from UN black list. But who is Gulbudding Hekmatyar? Sunni Pashtun born in 1947 in Kunduz Province’s Imam Sahib District, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar founded Hezb-e Islami Party in 1975 recruiting members from the Muslim Youth, Islamist organization of students […]
New surge of sectarian violence in Afghanistan
Recent reports reveal there is a new surge of sectarian violence in Afghanistan where Shiite Imams and influential elders have been under attack and killed. It started last year with the murder of Azizullah Najafi, a Shia member of Herat provincial council, followed with the killing of Shia scholar Sayed Younis, and a few months later […]
Talks over security in Afghanistan between Russia, China and Pakistan
These days talks over security in Afghanistan are being held in Moscow, Russia, even though no representative from the Afghan government has been invited. This is the reason why officials from the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) have expressed their concern regarding the meeting that is taking place between China, Pakistan and Russia in Moscow. Ahmad Shakib, spokesman […]
Afghan ghost soldiers, how and why there are so many
In a country where corruption is endemic and common practice in every layer of the society and market, it comes to little surprise the high number of Afghan ghost soldiers. Every year Afghanistan earns the place of one of the world’s most corrupt countries, and today is less safe than any other time in the […]
New assaults on women’s independence in Afghanistan
A new harsh assault has been carried out in the last couple of days aimed at undermining women’s independence in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is arguably the most dangerous country for women and changes towards a tangible improvement of Afghan women life and condition is still too little and too slow. Last night unidentified armed men set on fire […]
10 year old Afghan girl found on basement after months of abuse
Robabeh, a ten year old Afghan girl tells local Radio Azadi her story of how she was held in captivity on a basement and abused by her 80 year old husband in the center of the Afghan capital, Kabul. In the past year Afghanistan’s human rights watch reported a variety of abuses, but the story of […]
Over 3 decades of war in Afghanistan, the effects on the society
By Sayed Asif Alaie After decades of relative stability, the overthrow of Daoud Khan in 1978 and the subsequent invasion by Soviet forces in 1979 marked the beginning of a lengthy and exhausting period of war in Afghanistan that is now close to its 40th year. As Mujahedeen resistance groups grew in strength, waging guerrilla […]
Is Taliban project ending and ISIS starting a new chapter in Afghanistan war?
“Labeled as ‘refugees from Pakistan’, ISIS militants are moving from Pakistan all throughout Afghanistan in the wait for the ISIS project to fully start.” The alarming claim coming from Zahir Qadir, the First Deputy speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament, is bound to be the beginning of a new terrifying chapter in the never-ending story of Afghanistan war. […]
Internally displaced refugees in Afghanistan part of a new humanitarian emergency
“You found the real poor of Afghanistan and you came to visit us”. While waiting for the outcome of the EU deal with the Afghan government whether the asylum seekers who have already reached Europe will be sent back or not, the issue of internally displaced people, refugees in Afghanistan, is set to become a […]
Terrorism in Afghanistan, world’s second most dangerous place
Terrorism in Afghanistan is making it one of the most dangerous nations in the world. The country suffered the worst year so far in its war with the Taliban, resulting in nearly 18,000 deaths from the conflict in 2015. Afghanistan ranked number two in the world on the terrorism index, the Institute for Economics and Peace […]
Victims of war, the heartbreaking story of young Afghan soldier Najibullah
“My last memory right before losing my eyes has been my best friend torn into pieces by the explosion.” This is how Najibullah, a 19-year-old Afghan soldier, rounded up his interview with Afghan Dispatch. After three years serving in the Afghan Army, Najibullah and his commando (other seven soldiers) fell victim of an IED explosion planted […]
Corruption in Afghanistan, Transparency International releases report
Last October 5th leaders from the international community gathered in Brussels for a conference on Afghanistan to sign a new four-year aid deal of 12 billion USD, and a week earlier, on September 28th Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) approved a new law to fight corruption in Afghanistan therefore preventing the leak of some 1 million […]
Afghanistan elections, the new challenge for the national government
When talking about Afghanistan elections, there is a widespread sense of distrust and very little interest among Afghans. After 40 years of uninterrupted conflict, the biggest challenge for Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) is to raise interest and make their own people willing to participate in the public life and local civil society. Last Presidential […]
The rise of ISIS in Afghanistan
In a moment when Taliban insurgents are launching offensives in many provinces, to add to the chaos, the rise of ISIS in Afghanistan seems an increasingly alarming threat. What are the plans of ISIS in Afghanistan? According to most Afghan political analysts the mission for ISIS is to threaten and destabilize the Russian-influenced countries in the […]
UNAMA releases special report on 23 July Kabul attack against Hazara community
UNAMA, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has released last October 18th a special report on the 23rd of July Kabul attack. Claimed by Daesh/ISIS, the attack voluntarily targeted civilians killing 85 and leaving more than 400 injured, almost all from the Shia Hazara group. The peaceful demonstration was organized by the Enlightening Movement to […]
The state of security in Afghanistan, safety tips for travelers
According to 2016 Global Peace Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the state of security in Afghanistan has gone from second to fourth worst in the world. While this may sound positive, there’s not really much to cheer about. The GPI has shown that the world as a whole has become a less […]
Taliban offensive all over Afghanistan
Last week marked the 15th year of the end of Taliban regime and the beginning of costly NATO’s Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, but in the latest weeks Taliban offensive has been raging in several provinces in an attempt to take control all over the country. In many provinces, only the very city center of the […]