Weak governance boosting insurgency: US report

The insurgency appears has gained ground in some parts of Afghanistan due to weak governance, Congressional report says, blaming the Ghani administration for corruption and disunity.

“Prior to the Kunduz takeover, US officials asserted that insurgents did not pose a threat to the stability of the government, and they have not subsequently altered the assessment publicly,” the report said.

The insurgency benefitted, in some measure, from weak governance in Afghanistan, alleged the Congressional document, prepared by the independent Congressional Research Service (CRS) that prepares periodic reports on issues of interest to American lawmakers.

A dispute over the 2014 presidential election in Afghanistan was settled in September 2014 by a US-brokered solution. Under the deal, Ashraf Ghani became president and Dr. Abdullah chief executive officer.

“Governance is also widely assessed to suffer from widespread official corruption, although Ghani has undertaken anti-corruption initiatives since taking office. And the government has been tacitly accepting the regrouping of local factional militias to help compensate for security forces’ weaknesses,” the report said.

It accused the militias of human rights abuses and arbitrary administration of justice. However, the CRS praised Ghani’s efforts to engage with neighbouring countries.

“By engaging Afghanistan’s neighbours, Ghani is taking significant steps to try to achieve a negotiated settlement between the Afghan government and insurgent groups,” it added.

Ghani’s trips to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and China have had some early success in producing negotiations — if not any breakthroughs — between government officials and Taliban representatives.

Afghanistan’s minorities and women groups are closely watching talks according to the report, which suggested a settlement might produce compromises with the Taliban that eroded human rights.

“Further talks might be complicated by dissension within the Taliban over the benefits of negotiations, a struggle over succession to Mullah Mohammad Umar and by defections to growing Islamic State,” CRS concluded.