Afghans have long experience of war and armed conflict. The Saur Revolution of April 1978 was engulfed in the Cold War and regional power struggles, while the civil wars of the 1990s were followed by armed intervention in the context of the 'War on Terror'.
The Bonn Agreement of December 2001 and the establishment of the Afghan Transitional Authority (ATA) in June 2002 provide a framework for a sustained peacebuilding process in Afghanistan, assisted by the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). While the Bonn process was formally completed with the inauguration of the new Afghan Parliament in December 2005, allied forces continue their search for remnants of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, as various Afghan military, religious and political groups continue to receive uncoordinated external support.
A number of challenges lie ahead, despite the near completion of the first phase of the peace process. While the initiation of far-reaching reforms has given ordinary Afghans high hopes for the future, the Afghan government exercises limited influence outside Kabul and urgently needs to deliver on its promises. The security situation is fragile, drug production has exceeded previous high levels, and the country is totally dependent on external support for its development programme.
In September 2002, the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) and the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) organized a conference on regional perspectives on peacebuilding in Afghanistan. Experts from Afghanistan, neighbouring countries concerned regional powers and major powers discussed different factors influencing the peacebuilding process.
This website aims to continue the discourse begun at that conference by providing information on the situation in Afghanistan and the local region, and by presenting academic work on a range of issues related both to Afghanistan and to peacebuilding in general, as well as links to other resources.
We invite contributions, information and reports from experts and practitioners in relevant fields. These can be sent to afghanistan@cmi.no.
