Governments cannot survive without the support of their people. The world’s history is full of downfalls of dictatorships in the hands of people. The suppression of people by governments means intentionally paving the way for the overthrow of those regimes.
It is right that Afghan war is extremely complex and has various dimensions and factors, but one of the major reasons is the sense of alienation of people from the government. Most people in rural areas of the country still see the government as an evil, and are yet to believe that the government is a public service provider. Such mentality is unfortunately created by the wrong actions and policies of governments. The governments’ wrong policies and actions have gradually alienated people from governments. One of such actions is causing civilian casualties in counterinsurgency operations. The issue of civilian casualties has not been tackled despite complaints and strong criticism for years. Only in two days, as many as 30 civilians have been killed in two separate operations in Kapisa and Wardak provinces. According to reports, 18 members of a family, including children and women, have been martyred in the Badrab village of Tagab district of Kapisa, while 12 members of another family, with women and children among them, have been martyred in the Mullah Hafez village of Jaghatu district of Wardak.
These and other similar incidents not only undermine the government’s credibility but also prompt people to seek revenge, as families of the victims never get justice. The government cannot prosecute foreign troops and Afghan forces are not punished for their wrong doings due to the corruption that exists in the country’s legal and judicial apparatuses. When families of the victims see the killers of their dear ones unpunished, they are left with only one option: retaliation. Since they cannot harm foreigners, they take the revenge on their fellow countrymen, the Afghan security forces.
There is a famous proverb in Afghanistan that says, “Desperation leads to violence. What else people should do if no one is listening to their calls in peaceful ways!” The government, which has already faced with enormous challenges, should not force more people to turn against it. The government leadership should consider the protection of civilian lives a top priority, and put an end to the sense of alienation kindled by civilian casualties by adopting specific preventive mechanisms. The failure to do so makes the downfall of the government inevitable. Continued civilian casualties mean the war will continue, and the result of any war where people fight against their government is certainly the collapse of that government.
The continuation of civilian casualties
