Afghan Air Force

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project

See ‘anti-government elements’

Afghan Local Police, a security initiative to include armed militias in the police force, under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior.

Afghan National Army

Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, see also ANSF

Afghan National Police

Afghan National Security Forces, including Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan National Police (ANP) and National Directorate of Security (NDS)

Armed opposition fighters, or insurgents, who are fighting against the Afghan government and its international allies. Examples of such groups of fighters are the Taliban, the Haqqani network and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

Directive 2013/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection

The practice of exchanging women/girls to resolve a dispute; exchanging daughters between families for marriage to avoid bride price costs.

Dancing boys: boys or young men who are sexually exploited by men for entertainment. They are made to dance in female garb and provide sexual favours. This practice is often associated with men in power.

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Court of Justice of the European Union

Country of origin information

A deliberate and coordinated attack that includes a suicide device, more than one attacker and more than one type of device. All three elements must be used for an attack to be considered complex.

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights), as amended by Protocols Nos. 11 and 14, 4 November 1950

European Court of Human Rights

European Union

Member States of the European Union plus Norway and Switzerland

A ruling or opinion given by the head of religious community in Islam.

Ground engagements include kinetic ground operations, stand-off attacks, crossfire and armed clashes between parties to the conflict. Ground engagements include attacks or operations in which small arms, heavy weapons and/or area weapons systems, i.e. mortars and rockets are fired.

Sunni jurisprudence in use in Afghanistan; one of the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence.

International Criminal Court

Internally displaced person(s)

Improvised Explosive Device. A bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action.

International Labour Organisation

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan

Internal protection alternative

Islamic State Khorasan Province

A council or assembly of tribal elders held for dispute resolution; jirgamar refers to elders whose profession is dispute settlement

Islamic religious school

Ministry of Interior Affairs of Afghanistan

Islamic ‘holy warriors’. In the context of the conflict of Afghanistan, the term dates back to the 1980s, when it referred to Islamic fighting groups opposed to the communist regime and the military forces of the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Its fighters have since been called mujahideen. Currently, the Taliban refer to their fighters as mujahideen.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s intelligence service

Non-governmental organisation

National Resistance Front

People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan

Pro-government militia

Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection granted

The religious law of Islam; Islamic canonical law

A decision-making community council; often formed for non-State dispute settlement; made up of a group of people with community authority (elders) to discuss and find solutions to a problem.

Intentional, premeditated and deliberate use of lethal force by States or their agents acting under colour of law or by an organised armed group, party to an armed conflict against a specific individual who is not in the perpetrator’s physical custody.