UN Secretary-General’s Report: Insecurity in Afghanistan Increased by 55%

According to the quarterly report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, security incidents in Afghanistan under Taliban rule increased by 55% from February 1 to May 13 of this year, compared to the same period in 2023.

The text of the UN Secretary-General’s quarterly report, which was presented to the UN Security Council, was made public on Friday (June 21) by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The report states that during this time period, UNAMA recorded 2,505 incidents, mostly in the central, northeastern, southeastern, and southern regions.

There were 106 armed clashes recorded during this period, an increase compared to 75 such incidents in the same period in 2023.

However, the report notes that the armed opposition has not posed a significant challenge to the Taliban’s territorial control.

The report states: “The Afghanistan Freedom Front and the National Resistance Front carried out confirmed attacks during the reporting period, with a focus on Kabul, where the Afghanistan Freedom Front conducted 14 attacks on the Taliban, and the National Resistance Front conducted 29 confirmed attacks on the group in Kabul (20), Takhar (6), Baghlan (2) and Parwan (1).”

The report also refers to the persistent attacks by ISIS on Taliban officials and civilians between February 28 and May 15, in which dozens were killed and injured.

The report also mentions the tensions among Taliban officials over governance issues, including the fight against narcotics and the activities of the “purge commission”.

The report states that “with fewer cabinet meetings held during this period, it appears that the center of governance is shifting more towards Kandahar, and Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, is exerting greater levers on the governance processes in Kabul.”

According to the report, the Taliban leadership continues to focus on bridging the gaps between authorities and different communities and garnering their support.

The report also discusses the conflict with Pakistan, restrictions on political party activities, a more limited space for civil society, the poor human rights situation, the high level of need for humanitarian assistance, and the Taliban’s relations with neighboring and regional countries.

The report also notes that opposition groups to the Taliban, including the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, have focused their messaging on distancing and armed opposition to the Taliban.

According to the UN Assistance Mission report, between February 1 and May 13 of this year, 31 security incidents against UN personnel were recorded, including 13 robberies, 7 harassment incidents, 2 detentions, 1 improvised explosive device, and 8 other incidents targeting UN facilities, offices, and property.

UNAMA also referred to the unauthorized and forced entry of Taliban intelligence forces into its office in Kabul on March 4.

This report is released as Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights, recently released his latest report on the dire human rights situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, ahead of the third Doha meeting.

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