Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

This article is about the former state. For the past Afghan states, see Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978), Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992) or Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992–2002). For the current state, see Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان (Dari) Jumhūrī-yi Islāmī-yi Afġānistān د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت (Pashto) Da Afġānistān Islāmī Jumhoryat
Flag of Afghanistan National emblem of Afghanistan Flag Emblem of Afghanistan
Motto: لا إله إلا الله، محمد رسول الله "Lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh, Muhammadun rasūlu llāh" "There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." (Shahada)
Anthem: Millī Sūrud سرود ملی ("National Anthem") File:National Anthem of Afghanistan (Instrumental).ogg
Capital		Kabul (De jure)
Largest city		Kabul
Official language(s)		Dari Pashto
Ethnic groups		42% Pashtun 27% Tajik 9% Hazara 9% Uzbek 4% Aimaq 3% Turkmen 2% Baloch 4% others
Religion		99.7% Islam (official) 0.3% others
Demonym		Afghan
Government		Unitary presidential Islamic republic (2004–2021) Government in exile (2021–present)
•	President	Ashraf Ghani
•	1st Vice President	Amrullah Saleh
•	2nd Vice President	Sarwar Danish
Legislature		National Assembly
•	Upper house	House of Elders
•	Lower house	House of the People
Formation
•	United States invasion	7 October 2001
•	Current constitution	26 January 2004
•	Fall of Kabul and establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan	15 August 2021
Area
•	Total	652,864 km2 252,072 sq mi
•	Water (%)	negligible
Population
•	2020 estimate	31,390,200
•	Density	48.08/km2 119/sq mi
Currency		Afghani (افغانی) (AFN)
Time zone		D† (UTC+4:30 Solar Calendar)
Drives on the		right
Calling code		+93
ISO 3166 code		AF
Internet TLD		.af افغانستان.

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was an Islamic republic that governed most of Afghanistan between 2004 and 2021 during the War in Afghanistan. It was established after the United States invasion of Afghanistan crippled the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in 2001, leaving the republic running most of the country.

Even after losing Kabul, Taliban forces held control of several areas of the country and the civil war continued. This perpetuated Afghanistan's problematic human rights and women's rights records, with numerous abuses committed by both sides, such as the killing of civilians, kidnapping and torture. Due to its government's extensive reliance on American military and economic aid, some classed the nation as an American client state, and it gradually lost control of the rural countryside after the conclusion of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Following the withdrawal of NATO troops in 2021, the Taliban launched a massive military offensive in May 2021, allowing the Islamic Emirate to take control of the country over the following three and a half months. The Afghan Armed Forces rapidly disintegrated. The republic collapsed on 15 August 2021, when Taliban forces entered Kabul and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country.

The republic was a member of the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the Group of 77, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

History

Main article: History of Afghanistan

Further information: War in Afghanistan (2001–present), Taliban insurgency, and Reconstruction in Afghanistan

File:Hamid Karzai 2006-09-26.jpg

Hamid Karzai was the leader of the country from 2001 to 2014

U.S. troops and Air Force choppers in Afghanistan, 2008

In December 2001, after the Taliban government was overthrown, the Afghan Interim Administration under Hamid Karzai was formed. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was established by the UN Security Council to help assist the Karzai administration and provide basic security. By this time, after two decades of war as well as an acute famine at the time, Afghanistan had one of the highest infant and child mortality rates in the world, the lowest life expectancy, much of the population were hungry, and infrastructure was in ruins. Many foreign donors started providing aid and assistance to rebuild the war-torn country.

Taliban forces meanwhile began regrouping inside Pakistan, while more coalition troops entered Afghanistan to help the rebuilding process. The Taliban began an insurgency to regain control of Afghanistan. Over the next decade, ISAF and Afghan troops led many offensives against the Taliban, but failed to fully defeat them. Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world because of a lack of foreign investment, government corruption, and the Taliban insurgency. Meanwhile, Karzai attempted to unite the peoples of the country, and the Afghan government was able to build some democratic structures, adopting a constitution in 2004 with the name Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Attempts were made, often with the support of foreign donor countries, to improve the country's economy, healthcare, education, transport, and agriculture. ISAF forces also began to train the Afghan National Security Forces. Following 2002, nearly five million Afghans were repatriated. The number of NATO troops present in Afghanistan peaked at 140,000 in 2011, dropping to about 16,000 in 2018.

In September 2014 Ashraf Ghani became president after the 2014 presidential election where for the first time in Afghanistan's history power was democratically transferred. On 28 December 2014, NATO formally ended ISAF combat operations in Afghanistan and transferred full security responsibility to the Afghan government. The NATO-led Operation Resolute Support was formed the same day as a successor to ISAF. Thousands of NATO troops remained in the country to train and advise Afghan government forces and continue their fight against the Taliban. It was estimated in 2015 that "about 147,000 people have been killed in the Afghanistan war since 2001. More than 38,000 of those killed have been civilians". A report titled Body Count concluded that 106,000–170,000 civilians have been killed as a result of the fighting in Afghanistan at the hands of all parties to the conflict.

2021 Taliban resurgence

Further information: 2021 Taliban offensive

On 14 April 2021, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had agreed to start withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by 1 May. Soon after the withdrawal of NATO troops started, the Taliban launched an offensive against the Afghan government, quickly advancing in front of collapsing Afghan government forces. According to a U.S. intelligence report, the Afghan government would likely collapse within six months after NATO completes its withdrawal from the country. On 15 August 2021, as the Taliban once again controlled a vast majority of Afghan territory, the Taliban began capturing the capital city of Kabul, with large scale evacuations of civilians, government officials, and foreign diplomats being conducted through the U.S. controlled Kabul International Airport. Taliban fighters were allegedly ordered not to interfere with civilian evacuations, and to let whoever wanted to leave the city.

Governance

Main articles: Politics of Afghanistan and Constitution of Afghanistan

File:200229-D-AP390-1529 (49603221753).jpg

The Arg (Presidential Palace) in Kabul

Afghanistan was an Islamic republic consisting of three branches, the executive, legislative, and judicial. The nation was led by President Ashraf Ghani with Amrullah Saleh and Sarwar Danish as vice presidents. The National Assembly was the legislature, a bicameral body having two chambers, the House of the People and the House of Elders. The Supreme Court was led by Chief Justice Said Yusuf Halem, the former Deputy Minister of Justice for Legal Affairs.

According to Transparency International, Afghanistan was one of the most corrupt countries. A January 2010 report published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime revealed that bribery consumed an amount equal to 23% of the GDP of the nation.

On 17 May 2020, President Ashraf Ghani reached a power-sharing deal with his rival from presidential elections, Abdullah Abdullah, deciding on who would manage the respected key ministries. The agreement ended months-long political deadlock in the country. It was agreed that while Ghani will lead Afghanistan as the president, Abdullah would oversee the peace process with the Taliban.

Elections and parties

Main articles: Elections in Afghanistan and List of political parties in Afghanistan

File:President Donald J. Trump and President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan at the United Nations General Assembly (36747065014).jpg

U.S. President Donald Trump with president of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani in 2017.

One instrument of Afghan governance was the loya jirga (grand assembly), a Pashtun consultative meeting that was mainly organized for choosing a new head of state, adopting a new constitution, or to settle national or regional issue such as war. Loya jirgas have been held since at least 1747, with the most recent one occurring in 2013.

Under the 2004 constitution, both presidential and parliamentary elections were to be held every five years. However, due to the disputed 2014 presidential election, the scheduled 2015 parliamentary elections were delayed until 2018. Presidential elections used the two-round system; if no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round would be held featuring the top two candidates. Parliamentary elections had only one round and were based on the single non-transferable vote system, which allows some candidates to be elected with as little as one percent of the vote.

The 2004 Afghan presidential election was relatively peaceful, in which Hamid Karzai won in the first round with 55.4% of the votes. However, the 2009 presidential election was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout, and widespread electoral fraud, ending in Karzai's reelection. The 2014 presidential election ended with Ashraf Ghani winning by 56.44% of the votes.

File:Afghan parliament building 2015.jpg

The National Assembly of Afghanistan in Kabul, the current site was built in 2015

Political parties played a marginal role in post-2001 Afghan politics, in part due to Karzai's opposition to them. In the 2005 parliamentary election, the ballots did not show candidates' party affiliation, so the results were dictated by the personal prestige of the candidates. Among the elected officials were a large mix of former mujahideen, Islamic fundamentalists, warlords, tribal nationalists, former communists, reformists, urban professionals, royalists and several former Taliban associates. In the same period, Afghanistan became the 30th highest nation in terms of female representation in the National Assembly. Parties became more influential after 2009, when a new law established more stringent requirements for party registration. Nearly a hundred new parties were registered after the law came into effect, and party activity increased in the 2014 elections, but party influence remained limited.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Provinces of Afghanistan and Districts of Afghanistan

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was administratively divided into 34 provinces (wilayat). Each province had a presidentially appointed governor and a capital. These provinces were further divided into nearly 400 provincial districts, each of which normally covered a city or several villages. Each district was represented by a district governor, appointed by the provincial governor.

The provincial governors were appointed by the President of Afghanistan, and the district governors were selected by the provincial governors. The provincial governors functioned as representatives of the central government in Kabul and were responsible for all administrative and formal issues within their province. In addition, there were provincial councils elected through both direct and general elections for four years. The provincial councils were given the authority to take part in provincial development planning and to participate in the monitoring and appraisal of other provincial governance institutions.

According to article 140 of the constitution and the presidential decree on electoral law, mayors of cities were to be elected through free and direct elections for a four-year term. In practice however, mayors were appointed by the government.

The following is a list of all the 34 provinces in alphabetical order:

Afghanistan was divided into 34 provinces, which were further divided into a number of districts

1. Badakhshan
2. Badghis
3. Baghlan
4. Balkh
5. Bamyan
6. Daykundi
7. Farah
8. Faryab
9. Ghazni
10. Ghor
11. Helmand
12. Herat
13. Jowzjan
14. Kabul
15. Kandahar
16. Kapisa
17. Khost
18. Kunar
19. Kunduz
20. Laghman
21. Logar
22. Nangarhar
23. Nimruz
24. Nuristan
25. Oruzgan
26. Paktia
27. Paktika
28. Panjshir
29. Parwan
30. Samangan
31. Sar-e Pol
32. Takhar
33. Wardak
34. Zabul

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Afghanistan

Afghanistan became a member of the United Nations in 1946. It enjoyed cordial relations with a number of NATO and allied nations, particularly the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Turkey. In 2012, the United States and Afghanistan signed their Strategic Partnership Agreement in which Afghanistan became a major non-NATO ally. Afghanistan has historically had strong relations with Germany, one of the first countries to recognize Afghanistan's independence in 1919; the Soviet Union, which provided much aid and military training for Afghanistan's forces and includes the signing of a Treaty of Friendship in 1921 and 1978; and India, with which a friendship treaty was signed in 1950. Relations with Pakistan had often been tense for various reasons such as the Durand Line border issue and alleged Pakistani cooperation with Afghan insurgent groups. Afghanistan also had diplomatic relations with neighboring China, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and also regional states such as Bangladesh, Japan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Russia, South Korea, and the UAE.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was established in 2002 to help the country recover from decades of war. Today, several NATO member states deploy about 17,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of the Resolute Support Mission. Its main purpose was to train the Afghan National Security Forces.

Military

File:First set of Afghan UH-60A Black Hawks.jpg

Black Hawks of the Afghan Air Force at Kandahar Airfield

Main article: Afghan Armed Forces

The Afghan Armed Forces were under the Ministry of Defense, which included the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and the Afghan National Army (ANA). The Afghan Defense University housed various educational establishments for the Afghan Armed Forces, including the National Military Academy of Afghanistan.

Law enforcement

Main article: Law enforcement in Afghanistan

Afghan National Police (ANP) in Kunar Province

Law enforcement in Afghanistan was the responsibility of the Afghan National Police (ANP), which was part of the Ministry of Interior Affairs. The ANP consists of two primary branches, the Afghan Uniformed Police and the Afghan Border Police. The mission of the Uniformed Police was to ensure security within Afghanistan, prevent crime, and protect property. The Border Police was responsible for securing and maintaining the nation's borders with neighboring states as well as all international airports within the country. Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), assists the ANP with security matters. Despite that, all parts of Afghanistan are considered dangerous due to militant activities and terrorism-related incidents. Kidnapping for ransom and robberies are common in major cities. Every year hundreds of Afghan police were killed in the line of duty. Afghanistan was also the world's leading producer of opium. Afghanistan's opium poppy harvest produces more than 90% of illicit heroin globally, and more than 95% of the European supply. The Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics was responsible for the monitoring and eradication of the illegal drug business.

Human rights

See also: Human rights in Afghanistan, Women in Afghanistan, and LGBT rights in Afghanistan

Freedom of expression and the press was permitted and promoted in the 2004 constitution, so long as it does not threaten national or religious integrity or does not defame individuals. In 2019, Reporters Without Borders listed the media environment of Afghanistan as 121st out of 179 on its Press Freedom Index, with 1st being most free. However many issues regarding human rights existed contrary to the law, often committed by local tribes, lawmakers and hardline clerics. Journalists in Afghanistan faced threat from both the security forces and insurgents. The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) claimed in 2017 that the Afghan government accounted for 46% of the attacks on Afghans journalists, while insurgents were responsible for rest of the attacks.

According to Global Rights, almost 90% of women in Afghanistan have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse or forced marriage. The perpetrators of these crimes are the families of the victim. A 2009 proposal for a law against the violence of women could only be passed through a presidential decree. In 2012, Afghanistan recorded 240 cases of honor killing, but the total number is believed to be much higher. Of the reported honor killings, 21% were committed by the victims' husbands, 7% by their brothers, 4% by their fathers, and the rest by other relatives.

Homosexuality is taboo in Afghan society; according to the Penal Code, homosexual intimacy was punishable by up to a year in prison. With implementing Sharia law offenders can be punished by death. However, an ancient tradition involving male homosexual acts between youngsters and older men (typically wealthy or elite people) called bacha bazi persisted. Despite being illegal, the people engaging in the act were not often punished.

On August 14, 2020, UN Human Rights Council experts issued a joint statement urging Afghanistan officials to prevent the killings of human rights defenders as there have been nine deaths of human rights defenders from January 2020 until the fall of the government.

See also

• Index of Afghanistan-related articles
• Outline of Afghanistan

Bibliography

Main article: Bibliography of Afghanistan

External links

• Office of the President
• Afghanistan. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
• Islamic Republic of Afghanistan web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado–Boulder Libraries
• Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at Curlie
• Wikimedia Atlas of Afghanistan
• Research Guide to Afghanistan

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