Publication

This report examines local problems with tackling conflict and providing security in Afghanistan. According to the report, both are important as they produce an environment of insecurity which destroys all quality of life for ordinary civilians and undermines the legitimacy of the Afghan Transitional Administration in Kabul. Local commanders often exploit these disputes to consolidate their positions, further weakening the authority of the central government. The disputes are of three main kinds: first, over land and water, two of the most important and rare resources; secondly, ethnic, which is often closely linked to land and water but also to the struggle between political parties; and finally family-based, frequently revolving around women.