John Sifton, HRW’s Afghanistan researcher, and Sam Zia-Zarifi, the associate director of HRW’s Asia Division, are in Afghanistan conducting research and advocacy around Afghanistan’s first direct presidential elections. They are keeping a diary while they are there and will respond to selected questions sent in by e-mail. To pose questions, please write to feedback@hrw.org.
Kabul, October 6, 2004Election fever is definitely in the air. Last night, ISAF and U.S. forces were out in force in Kabul, with major patrols everywhere. The dust from the Humvees, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters overhead made for a spectacular sunset and an eerie night. The government has banned motorcycles and large trucks from entering the city, which greatly eases traffic but betrays increasing worries about security as voters prepare to go to the polls on Saturday, October 9. Both vehicles have been used previously for attacks on election workers, non-governmental organizations, and security troops—motorcycles because they are very mobile and can get away quickly, trucks because they can be loaded with explosives.
Last Sunday, a large truck full of rockets was interdicted near the Kabul Polytechnic Institute—famous as the site of the large white tent that held the loya jirgas (grand councils) in May 2002 and December 2003.
Despite the concerns, Kabul itself was pretty quiet today. In the northern province of Badakhstan, there was a bomb attack on Ahmad Zia Massoud, one of President Karzai’s two vice presidential candidates. He was not hurt, but at least one bodyguard was killed. It’s unclear who was behind the attack.
Afghans are clearly excited about the coming election, but there is still much cause for concern. As Human Rights Watch has been warning since early 2002, insecurity is impeding the country’s transition from the rule of the gun to the rule of law.
Women suffer disproportionately from the insecurity, and they would benefit greatly from the demise of “warlordism.” That is what women across Afghanistan have been telling us—that what they want most is for the gunmen who restrict their activities to be disarmed. Given any space to operate in, Afghan women (and men) have proven themselves ready, willing and able to take on great odds to improve their lives and their country.
We took this message around again today, speaking with election organizers, ambassadors, international financial experts, and journalists. While getting to speak to an ambassador is usually a matter of complicated protocol and weeks of planning, we have found in places like Afghanistan that even the highest level officials are eager to hear from Human Rights Watch staffers.
Amazingly, in most meetings with high-level officials here, there is general agreement about what steps need to be taken to improve conditions here: NATO members need to increase troop contributions for international security forces; the United Nations needs to increase the number of human rights monitors on the ground; international donors need to provide more and better-targeted funding. Although everyone agrees on these points, it often seems that little is done. This is frustrating, obviously, but we have to keep it up. A lot of people here, Afghan and international, say that they appreciate that we’re keeping the pressure on and that we say the things that others don’t. It’s nice to hear the compliment, but as night is falling here, and the ISAF troops begin patrolling in force again, we’re not sure if we’ve done enough.
Related Material
Between Hope and Fear: Intimidation and Attacks Against Women in Public Life in Afghanistan
Background Briefing, October 4, 2004
The Rule of the Gun: Human Rights Abuses and Political Repression in the Run-up to Afghanistan's Presidential Election
Background Briefing, September 29, 2004