SUMMARY
Afghanistan became independent, after being a British protectorate, in 1919. Between 1933 and 1973 the country was ruled by King Zahir Shah, who was overthrown in a coup and replaced by President Mohammed Daoud Khan. Khan was in turn overthrown by communist forces in 1978, when a Soviet-backed government took office.
The Soviet-backed government was soon attacked by Mujahideen forces, initiating the long Afghan intrastate conflict. Mujahideen forces were partly supported by the West, whilst the government of Afghanistan relied on warring support from the Soviet Union and a vast network of government spies and paid informants.
Soviet forces withdrew in 1989 and left then-President Najibullah to fend for himself against the well-equipped and numerous Mujahideen. He was subsequently overthrown in 1992 and replaced as President of Afghanistan by former Mujahideen commander Rabbani. Rabbani attempted to bring the other Mujahideen factions into government, but intense rivalries between the warlords only made this possible when the powerful Taleban movement began to seriously threaten the other warlords’ control in mid-1996.
By then it was however too late to defeat the Taleban movement, which seized government power in September 1996. When attempting to consolidate its position as the country’s government in 1996-2001 this administration made use of one-sided violence against civilians. The Taleban relied for control on a vast network of religious police and informers as well as on a constant influx of zealous volunteers from Taleban-linked Pakistani madrasas (religious schools).
The first Taleban government was ousted in 2001, after a joint campaign carried out by UIFSA (United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan) and an international coalition. A transitional government took control of Afghanistan and was replaced in 2004-2005 by an elected government and parliament under the lead of Hamid Karzai. This government relied on the support of an American-led multinational coalition and the UN-authorised ISAF mission (International Security Assistance Force). After the end of Karzai's second term, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was elected president in September 2014. He remained in office until 15 August 2021, when the Taleban once again ousted the government and took control of the country.
The second Taleban regime was headed by Hibatullah Akhundzada, with Mullah Hasan Akhund as Prime Minister.
The government of Afghanistan has been involved in the interstate, intrastate and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
