Ashraf Ghani
All topics-
Negotiating peace with the Taliban
Any deal will do
The tension among Kabul's political elite is palpable. Washington has been conducting negotiations for a peace deal with the insurgent Taliban in the Gulf emirate of Qatar for quite some time now, and the government in Kabul feels side-lined. Yet regardless of who is sitting around the negotiating table, almost all players in Afghanistan agree: the need for peace is urgent. By Emran Feroz
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Interview with Thomas Ruttig
Afghanistan's democracy in reverse gear
Afghanistan expert Thomas Ruttig says that in the West's battle with the Taliban, too much focus has been placed for too long on political allies with problematic credentials: many warlords are still armed and have never faced prosecution for past offences. Despite being non-democrats, they control democratic institutions to this day. Interview by Hans Spross
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Tobias Lindholmʹs "A War"
Nordic tragedy in Afghanistan
Released in 2015, Tobias Lindholmʹs "A War" was nominated for an Oscar in the category Best Foreign Language Film. Part frontline thriller, part courtroom drama, the film examines the simple question: what do you do, when there is no right answer? By Hans Dembowski
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Hindu Kush
Reconstruction in Afghanistan: The strong women of Darul Aman
Kabul's Darul Aman Palace was originally built to house Afghanistan's parliament. After four decades of war, it had become an ever-present reminder of violence and destruction. Now a team of architects and engineers, many of them women, are rebuilding the ruins. By Sandra Petersmann
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Deportations to Afghanistan
No safe country of origin
Since the middle of December, 78 Afghans have been deported from Germany on charter flights. The most recent of these joint deportation flights to Kabul took off only last week. Despite the fact that war and destruction are still part of everyday life in Afghanistan, other such flights are already planned. By Emran Feroz
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The Taliban′s spring offensive
Over one million displaced Afghans
The most recent suicide attack on the outskirts of Kabul shows once again that in Afghanistan, battles are not only being fought between the army and the rebels. Anyone can find themselves targeted and civilians are the ones suffering the most. By Matthias Lauer
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NATO in Afghanistan
Hopes of withdrawal fade
2015 was a troubled year for Afghanistan. With the Taliban and IS achieving temporary success within the country, NATO was forced to revise its troop withdrawal plans. A report by Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi
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Afghanistan: the Taliban′s Kunduz offensive
"There's nothing left to keep me here"
The security situation in Afghanistan continues to escalate. After bitter fighting in Kunduz, the mood is also tense in Kabul. Meanwhile thousands of Afghans are leaving the country every day. Impressions from Kabul by Emran Feroz
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After the Taliban attack on Kunduz
Lacking political vision
The blood-letting goes on in Afghanistan, and as usual, it is the civilians who are suffering most. Forced to shoulder the political burden, coalition troops in the country were unable to create the right conditions for peace. Commentary by Sandra Petersmann in Kabul
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Afghanistan's new president: Ashraf Ghani
The intellectual and the warlords
Ashraf Ghani is Afghanistan's new president. The months of acrimonious dispute over the country's presidential election came to an end about a week ago. However, not much has changed: like his predecessor, Ghani is surrounded by violent warlords and drug barons. Emran Feroz has the details
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Interview with Afghanistan expert Thomas Ruttig
"The violence threshold is low"
Having already served two terms, Afghan President Hamid Karzai cannot run for president in the election in early April. The end of his twelve years in office marks the end of an era for the country. Ulrich von Schwerin spoke to Thomas Ruttig of the "Afghanistan Analysts Network" about the political situation in Afghanistan after over a decade of Karzai