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Azadi Briefing

Monday 14 October 2024

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Afghan policewomen receive certificates for completing a counternarcotics training course in Kabul under the old administration before the Taliban takeover. (file photo)
Afghan policewomen receive certificates for completing a counternarcotics training course in Kabul under the old administration before the Taliban takeover. (file photo)

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The Taliban has threatened Afghan women who served in the police force under the previous Western-backed government, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The threats have forced hundreds of former Afghan policewomen, who were trained by the United States and its allies, to go into hiding, the global rights watchdog said.

HRW said some of the women have received threatening phone calls from Taliban officials who summoned them for questioning or warned them of unspecified consequences for their previous work.

Under the Taliban, some former policewomen in the culturally and religiously conservative country have been apparently killed by their own relatives for bringing “shame” to the families, HRW said.

Many former policewomen have sought refuge in neighboring Iran or Pakistan, or tried to obtain asylum in the West.

Why It's Important: HRW’s report highlights the dangers facing members of Afghanistan’s former armed forces.

After seizing power in 2021, the Taliban announced a blanket amnesty that included all Afghan officials, security forces, and individuals who cooperated with the departed U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan.

But international rights watchdogs and the United Nations have documented widespread cases of retribution -- including extrajudicial killings and torture.

Before the Taliban takeover, Afghan policewomen suffered widespread sexual abuse and harassment, HRW said.

Afghan policewomen have been “doubly betrayed,” first by the former Afghan government and then by Western nations that ignored the abuse and have not granted them asylum, said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at HRW.

What's Next: HRW has called on Western nations that helped train and hire former Afghan policewomen, including the United States, to resettle them.

But it is unclear if the United States and European countries are willing or able to grant asylum to the women, some of whom remain inside Afghanistan.

What To Keep An Eye On

Germany has announced that it is planning to deport more Afghans to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told parliament on October 9 that Afghans convicted of serious crimes in Germany would be deported.

In August, Berlin deported 28 Afghan citizens for the first time since the Taliban takeover. The authorities said all were convicted criminals, although they did not disclose their crimes.

Why It's Important: Germany has granted asylum to tens of thousands of at-risk Afghans in recent years.

But Berlin has tightened the country's asylum policies as anti-immigration parties rise in popularity.

Germany’s announcement of more deportations has fueled panic among the country's large Afghan community -- which numbers around 475,000. Many Afghans fear they could be next.

“I am apprehensive about this unfolding situation,” an Afghan asylum seeker in Germany, speaking on condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.

“We all should not be punished for the mistakes of individuals,” said another asylum seeker.

That's all from me for now.

Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Tom West (center), the former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, poses with Malala Yousofzai (center) in Washington. (file photo)
Tom West (center), the former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, poses with Malala Yousofzai (center) in Washington. (file photo)

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The United States has scrapped the post of special representative to Afghanistan.

Tom West, who held the position since October 2021, will not be replaced. The career diplomat has been given a new role in the State Department.

West was appointed just months after the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government and the Taliban's seizure of power.

West was seen as central to U.S. efforts to prevent a famine in Afghanistan and stabilize the freefalling Afghan economy after 2021.

U.S. policy on Afghanistan will now be overseen by U.S. Charge d'Affaires for Afghanistan Karen Decker; Rina Amiri, the U.S. special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia and Ambassador John Mark Pommersheim.

Why It's Important: There are concerns that the United States' decision to scrap the post of special Afghan envoy signals Washington's increasing disengagement from Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an October 1 statement that the "commitment to Afghanistan remains an enduring priority."

"Washington has not named a successor, but the U.S. continues to engage with Afghanistan," said Graeme Smith, a senior Afghanistan analyst at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group.

Smith said Washington's disengagement from Afghanistan would undermine "international consensus in favor of peace."

In the 1990s, Afghanistan descended into a civil war with foreign powers arming rival groups.

What's Next: Afghanistan no longer appears to be a U.S. foreign policy priority.

Washington is likely to continue to contribute to efforts to ease the devastating humanitarian crisis gripping the country as well as preventing Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups.

What To Keep An Eye On

In a new report, the Afghanistan Analyst Network (AAN) think tank has revealed the significant problems facing the over 700,000 Afghan refugees and migrants deported from neighboring Pakistan in recent years.

The report, based on interviews with returnees, said many are struggling to find shelter, work, and schooling.

The report said many were deported "with little or no time to prepare, mostly unable to bring assets with them and not having a home or job to come back to."

Why It's Important: The deportation of Afghans from Pakistan and neighboring Iran has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the world's largest.

The Taliban's cash-strapped government has been unable or unwilling to support the returnees. Meanwhile, donor countries have slashed their humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in recent years.

That's all from me for now.

Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

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Radio Azadi is RFE/RL's Dari- and Pashto-language public service news outlet for Afghanistan. Every Friday in our newsletter, the Azadi Briefing, correspondent Abubakar Siddique shares his analysis of the week’s most important issues and explain why they matter.

To subscribe, click here.

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