COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: January 2023
This profile includes members of the former ANDSF, including former Afghan Local Police (ALP) and pro-government militias.
COI summary
Sources report that former ANDSF members, including former ALP and pro-government militias are a primary target of Taliban violence [Targeting 2022, 2.1, pp. 57-63; 2.7, p. 72].
During the years of the conflict, ANDSF personnel both on and off-duty was a priority target for the Taliban. Attacks against government forces at army bases, police stations and checkpoints, deliberate killings, executions, abductions and torture against detainees, including ANDSF personnel, were reported, and explicitly legitimised by the Taliban Layeha (code of conduct) [Anti-government elements 2020, 1.2.1, pp. 13-15; 2.5, pp. 21-22; 2.6.1, pp. 22-23; State structure 2020, 2.1, pp. 26-27; Security 2020, 1.1.1, p. 20; 1.3, pp. 30-31; 1.5.2, p. 51]. Available sources indicated that officers of NDS, members of PGMs and police chiefs were most frequently targeted by the Taliban [Security 2020, 1.2.1, pp. 28-29; 1.3.3, pp. 33-34; 1.3.4, pp. 34-36; 2; Anti-government elements 2020, 2.6, pp. 22-25; Conflict targeting 2020, 1.2.1, pp. 28-30].
During their takeover of power in the summer of 2021, cases were reported in which the Taliban committed killings of ANDSF members who had surrendered or were detained [Targeting 2022, 2.1, p. 56].
After the takeover, the Taliban announced in their first press conference a general amnesty, saying that they had pardoned ‘all of those who had fought against [them]’ [Security September 2021, 1.1.2, p. 13]. The amnesty was not fully respected by Taliban members [Targeting 2022, 2.1, p. 56]. Sources reported a lack of control of the Taliban leadership over their fighters and observed Taliban fighters acting on their own initiative and engaging in incidents because of personal enmities and desire for revenge [Targeting 2022, 1.1.4, pp. 25-26; Country Focus 2022, 1.3, pp. 23-24; 2.5, pp. 47-48]. Although Taliban fighters were repeatedly urged to respect the general amnesty, accountability of fighters who were involved in atrocities was reported to be limited [Targeting 2022, 1.1.4 e, p. 30].
The Taliban also declared that they wanted former personnel of the Afghan National Army (ANA) to join their ranks and launched campaigns to recruit former ANDSF personnel. Although some former ANDSF members did join the Taliban ranks, it was reported that these efforts were of little success due to fear of retribution. Many former personnel remained in hiding or left the country [Security 2022, 1.2.2, p. 27; 2.1.2, pp. 39-41; Targeting 2022, 2.3, pp. 65-66; 2.5, pp. 69-70].
Incidents of summary executions, torture, abuses and enforced disappearances of former ANDSF personnel have been reported in almost all provinces. Different sources recording relevant incidents provided a different estimation of the extent of such incidents over different reporting periods. Human Rights Watch stated that in the period 15 August – 30 October 2021, more than 100 former ANDSF members have been executed or forcibly disappeared across 4 provinces and New York Times documented 490 cases in which former government officials and members of ANDSF were killed or disappeared in the first semester of Taliban rule. UNAMA reported on 160 extrajudicial killings, 178 arbitrary arrests, 23 incommunicado detentions and 56 instances of torture and ill-treatment of former ANDSF and government officials in the period 15 August 2021 – 15 June 2022 [Targeting 2022, 2.1, pp. 56-58; 4.1, p. 80].
Efforts were made by Taliban members to track down former security officials through local informants, registration campaigns of former ANDSF personnel and possibly the use of former governments databases. In February 2022, the Taliban began to conduct house-to-house searches in different parts of the country, which according to some sources also focused on finding former government employees and members of ANDSF [Security 2022, 1.2.4, p. 33; Targeting 2022, 2.2, pp. 63-65].
There were also reports of targeting of former female members of the ANDSF by the Taliban or by their own relatives [Targeting 2022, 2.8, p. 73].
There were also cases of non-fighting army personnel being detained and killed [Targeting 2022, 2.4, p. 68].
Cases were also reported where family members were killed, or were interrogated or tortured by the Taliban looking for former officials [Targeting 2022, 2.1, pp. 57, 61, 63; 2.2, p. 64; 2.4 – 2.7, pp. 67-73; Security 2022, 3.2 c, pp. 68-69; Country Focus 2022, 2.5, p. 46].
Risk analysis
Acts reported to be committed against individuals under this profile are of such severe nature that they amount to persecution (e.g. summary executions, torture, enforced disappearances).For applicants who were members of the security institutions of the former government well-founded fear of persecution would in general be substantiated.
Family members may also have a well-founded fear of persecution, for example in the context of the Taliban searching for the individual they are related to.
Nexus to a reason for persecution
Available information indicates that persecution of this profile is highly likely to be for reasons of (imputed) political opinion.
