The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Tuesday said more civilians were killed by the US and allied forces than by the Taliban and other militant groups during the first half of 2019.
The uptick in civilian deaths comes amid a US-led effort to draw down the international military presence in Afghanistan and end the 18-year war.
Key UN figures:
- 1,366 civilians were killed during the first six months of 2019, marking a 30% drop from last year.
- Pro-government forces, including the US and its international allies, killed 717 civilians.
- The Taliban, "Islamic State" and other militant groups killed 531 civilians.
- In total, 2,446 civilians were injured.
Read more: Is Germany reassessing its role in Afghanistan?
'Shocking and unacceptable'
UNAMA said that while it welcomed the drop in civilian casualties, it "continues to regard the level of harm done to civilians as shocking and unacceptable."
Tadamichi Yamamoto, who heads UNAMA, said: "We urge all parties to heed this imperative, to answer the call of Afghans for immediate steps to be taken to reduce the terrible harm being inflicted."
Read more: Afghanistan: Can peace prevail?
End in sight?
In 2001, the US led an international mission to oust the Taliban after the militant group refused to hand over al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks.
Since then, international forces have maintained a military presence in the country to shore up support for the government. The Taliban has refused to cease attacks unless the US winds down its deployment.
Peace talks have gained traction, according to the White House. However, previous efforts to secure a political solution to the conflict have failed to go beyond talks.
Read more: Why a Taliban peace deal won't end bloodshed in Afghanistan
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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Fragile security
Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.
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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
A long series of attacks
The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.
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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Spring offensive
In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.
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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Trump's Afghanistan policy
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.
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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Afghan peace process
Despite President Ghani's offer in February 2018 for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy."
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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Pakistani support
Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.
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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Role of the warlords
Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.
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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
An inefficient government
In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism.
Author: Shamil Shams
ls/rt (AFP, Reuters)
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