Casualties in the Afghan war have reached unsustainably high. In addition to the Afghan warring sides, tens of Afghan civilians lose their lives on a daily basis due to the imposed war. Civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict, with daily losses either in suicide bombings in cities and roadside bombs on highways, or in airstrikes and night raids in their villages and homes in rural areas. The parties to the war have largely failed to comply with the rules of engagement. Every side claims that it is paying attention to civilian lives, but the reality on the ground is completely otherwise. Neither pro-government nor anti-government forces appropriately pay attention to the protection of civilians.
In several incidents over the course of past two weeks, government forces inflicted heavy causalities on civilians in Logar, Nangarhar and Paktia provinces. Additionally, civilian homes and even vehicles were torched. These all were unfortunately carried out by a force on whom Afghan people pinned all their hopes, and one whose main duty is to protect the lives and properties of their people.
No necessary actions are taken to prevent civilian casualty though it is one of the major drivers of the Afghan conflict. The government has failed to ensure civilian protection in its counterinsurgency operations in areas under its control. The culture of impunity has allowed frontline commanders and soldiers to see themselves above the law. The weak rule of law has assured them that they will not be held accountable for their misfeasance, thereby giving them a free hand to continue violating the country’s laws, as well as the rules of war.
Now that the government is trying to bring the conflict to a negotiated end, it should not forget to maintain a balance between political and military efforts at the current critical moment. A single mistake on the battlefield can reverse any political progress achieved in a long time with regard to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. The government leadership should accept civilian casualties as a major driver of the war, and therefore adopt feasible prevention mechanisms that can stop the intractable activities of frontline commanders and soldiers by eliminating the culture of impunity.
Civilian casualties sabotaging peace efforts
