The impacts of Almas Operations in the North
In recent few weeks, Gen. Abdul Rasheed Dostum, the First Vice-President arrived in North in order to remove Taliban from Faryab province. It looked like he was intended to command the Afghan armed forces and fight against the Taliban; however, it did not happen in action. [1]
He spent some time in Jawzjan Province and continuously said that this war is against Pakistan and Pakistani intelligence agency (ISI). [2] He, dramatically, brought his sons, wearing military uniforms, to the battle ground in order to take benefit from media’s propaganda.
This action of Dostum has alarmed the danger of arrival of militias to the battle ground of Afghanistan and, it empowered the beliefs that Afghanistan will return to its past ominous experiences which had harshly castrated the national unity in the country.
Experience of Militia-Making
In the last years of the Communist government in Afghanistan, the country’s security forces were faced with the lack of morale in the war. Afghanistan’s armed forces were not face with the lack of military equipment at that time, but, the army soldiers were taken to battle ground by force and they did not have any kind of motivation for fighting; as a result, the government, for filling this gap, started to create militias. At first, there were propagandas that the militias will not act indecently and they would be under the control of national military forces. (This is exactly what the country’s security officials say about Arbaki-making and named it as Local Police or as Upraised People Forces recently.)
Militias that were created on the base of nationality during Dr. Najeeb’s era, gradually, achieved power and, eventually, they contacted the foreign intelligence services and with a compromise, removed Dr. Najeeb from power and made him to refuge to UN office in Kabul.
These militias had important role in making the Civil War and its aftermath to be continued by changing their side from the Mujahedeen’s government to its opponents during the Civil War.
The Aftermath of Almas Operations
Gen. Dostum, after a series of propaganda, threatens and necessary preparedness, eventually, marched toward insecure northern Faryab Province on the third of August, 2015. He was being accompanied by 2000 armed motorcyclists under the name of (upraised people’s forces).
The people living in Faryab’s villages located near the border of Badghis province came under attack, loot and cruelty of these militias happen in the areas under the control of Taliban. [3]
The people complain that the Taliban had control of their areas due to the weaknesses of the Afghan security forces, and the people that were unarmed, did not have power to resist the Taliban; however, the forces under the command of Gen. Dostum that have attacked the area, treat the people like they were Taliban in their captivity.
Ethnic Disputes
Performing such action by so-called forces, the defenders of the government signify the complete weakness of the National Unity Government (NUG). Considering that war against Taliban as a tribal issue, hurt the sovereignty of the government and limits its power. The interesting thing is that once upon a time, President Ghani called Dostum “a murderer of Afghans” for his methods. [4]
It should not be imagined that the government has kept the national security forces from these tendencies away; in the past, Pashtun citizens were complaining that the government, intentionally, sent non-Pashtun soldiers for operations in that areas. For example, killing of Hazara local police forces in Wardak province, or killing of soldiers other than Pashtun in Tagab and Uzbeen districts of Helmand and Ghazni provinces, all of them could point a big danger that the NUG, from a very long time, empower the motivation of war against the Taliban on ethnic tendencies that results enmity between ethnicities in the country.
The Pretext of Pakistanis’ Presence
Dostum was talking about killing a Pakistani general so-called Sheikh in order to show that this is a war against Pakistan. He said, Sheikh was responsible for the war in four provinces, Faryab, Jawzjan, Sar-i Pul and Badghis, however, the local people say that Seikh is originally from Farah province and he is alive. In the presence of media, Gen Dostum called the murder of Pakistani general as a direct war against Pakistan in Afghanistan.
Azadi Radio, quoting the local people, reported that people have complaints against the upraised people’s force that are under command of Gen. Dostum and say that they have looted their houses, but, officials in Faryab province rejects these allegations and call it Taliban’s propaganda; moreover, the officials do not let the local people to attend Kabul in order to raise their concerns with higher authorities. [5]
Pajhwok News agency reported that Gen. Dostum’s men put fire to houses after they looted the entire goods from them. [6]
The Daily Weesa quoting the elders of Khwaja Kando, Sakh, Konjak, Do Abi, Ghami Khan Kalai, Bashal Mast, Ghojghar and Ashab-e Kahf that did not want to name themselves due to security reasons reported that 2000 motorcyclates leading by four commanders named Commander Shamal from Maimana, Commander Nazar Mohammed, Commander Hashim and Commander Nizamuddin well-known with Nezam-e Gaw came to Qaysar and our area, looted our houses and mistreated our people. [7]
The Consequences of Almas Operations
The Almas operations was conducted by Gen. Dostum in Faryab on the 23 August, unlike propaganda, did not cause a lot of damages to Taliban because they had left the area before the start of the operations, however, the civilians in the area have suffered a lot of causalities, and even their houses became looted and burned.
The experience of Gorilla fighting has a long history in Afghanistan and it had proved that malitia can take some area back from the enemy in special cases, but keeping these areas for a long time is so difficult and challenging because they, with their negative actions, make people stand against them. As a result, the local people, even if they do not want it from their hearts, join the insurgency in order to rescue themselves, and it is in the benefit of the armed opposition.
On the other hand, the so-called forces of the government, whether they are called malitia or upraised people’s forces, do not obey the central command, and the forces under the command of Gen. Dostum that were well-known with Gilimjam were doing whatever they want in their conquered areas, from loot and rape to murder. It was the main motivation for fighting and it looks likes this is going to be promoted once again.
The Constitution and General Dostum’s Operations
The thing Dostum is doing in the North has clear opposition with the Constitution of Afghanistan. The Constitution states that the national security forces are responsible to defend the country and shaping other forces than ANSF is prohibited. Therefore, DDR and Dayak spent millions of dollars to disarm irresponsible armed forces, however, there is no one to ask Dostum that where all these weapons came from and why it was distributed in his men that are meanwhile members of hist Party and had comapined for Ashraf Ghani during the latest Presidential Elections too.
According to the Constitution, establishing political parties is allowed in Afghanistan, however, the political parties should have not a military wing. Meanwhile, establishing political parties based on ethnic are prohibited in Afghanistan, also.
The End
[1] Weesa Daily No. 78, 1st Sunbula, 1394
[2] See online:
http://da.azadiradio.org/content/article/27198552.html
[3] for further studies see online: http://da.azadiradio.org/content/article/27204290.html
[4] see online:
http://web.archive.org/web/20100103162326/http://ashrafghani.af/campaign/archives/1221
http://da.azadiradio.org/content/article/27204290.html
[6] See online:
http://www.pajhwok.com/dr/subscription-required?redirect_from=430329
[7] Weesa Daily No. 80