SUMMARY
Politics in Afghanistan have often been characterized by violent power struggles between different leaders and groups. Although often labeled ethnic or tribal, the conflicts have been fought along more intricate patterns, often motivated by personal grudges, blood feud, regional power dynamics and/or the control of territory. The Islamist groups fighting the Soviet-backed Afghan government in the 1980s, commonly referred to as the Mujahideen, were often involved in bloody clashes against each other, although they also tried to cooperate and unite in alliances. When the Soviet forces left the country in 1989, violence escalated as the groups tried to get as much influence and resources for themselves as possible.
Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan (Islamic Party of Afghanistan), in particular, was frequently involved in violence against the other insurgent groups. Being a militarily strong organization with a highly centralized command, Hizb-i Islami set out to conquer territories surrounding their traditional strongholds. In order to strengthen their control they disarmed other groups in these territories and brushed aside the traditional leaders and power structures.
The rivalry between Hizb-i Islami-yi led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Jam’iyyat-i Islami-yi Afghanistan (Islamic Society of Afghanistan) led by Burhanuddin Rabbani started already in the late 1970s when Pashtun Hekmatyar left the mainly Tajik Jam’iyyat-i Islami and created a more radical group under the name Hizb-i Islami. During the 1980s the groups tried to cooperate both in order to increase their combat strength but also because the external donors preferred to support one cohesive organization rather than numerous dispersed groups. However, numerous clashes between the different Mujahideen groups were reported. The seven large opposition groups based in Pakistan managed to form a number of alliances, but Hekmatyar left several such attempts to unite as he wanted more influence in the alliance. Especially tense was the relationship between Hekmatyar and Jam’iyyat-i Islami commander Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was strong in the Panjsher Valley north of Kabul and one of the most prominent Mujahideen commanders.
In 1989, when the Soviet forces left Afghanistan, the Mujahideen groups based in Pakistan set up a parallel government intended to seize power when the Soviet-imposed President Mohammad Najibullah was ousted or agreed to step down. An election, in which some 450 Mujahideen delegates could choose between the seven groups, gave the presidency to one of the more moderate resistance leaders. Being the leader of one of the strongest and best-organized groups, Hekmatyar wanted a more central role in the government, and the rift between Hekmatyar and the other resistance leaders deepened.
When President Najibullah was ousted by the Mujahideen and units within the Afghan army in 1992, the leaders of the seven Mujahideen groups in Pakistan signed the Peshawar Accords, creating the Islamic State of Afghanistan. The leader of Jabha-yi Nijat-i Milli-yi Afghanistan, Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, would be acting president for the first two months, followed by Rabbani for four months. Thereafter, a national assembly would appoint an interim government. Massoud became Defence Minister, a fact that Hekmatyar opposed. Adding to the long-standing rivalry between Hekmatyar and Massoud, and between Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan and Jam’iyyat-i Islami-yi Afghanistan, was the power struggle between Pashtun and non-Pashtun groups in the new government. Afghanistan had traditionally been ruled by Pashtun kings and leaders, but suddenly Tajiks were controlling the political and military power.
When they were formed, the Mujahideen groups had limited access to advanced armaments, and relied mainly on old English rifles. However, both parties were gradually given access to sophisticated weaponry as a result of the heavy support provided by external actors. From the 1980s and onwards, the standard weapons of the insurgent groups were RPG’s, AK-47’s and heavy machine guns, but by the late 1980s they also had access to Stinger missiles, land mines and mortars.
Fighting between Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan and Jam’iyyat-i Islami-yi Afghanistan has mainly taken place in the north-eastern parts of the country, particularly in the provinces of Konduz, Takhar and Badakhshan. After April 1992, heavy fighting occurred in and around Kabul. As Jam’iyyat-i Islami headed the interim government during this time period, fighting between their forces and those of Hizb-i Islami is registered in the state-based category (for more information see the Afghanistan: Government).
The non-state conflict between Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan and Jam’iyyat-i Islami-yi Afghanistan is first included in UCDP data in 1989. In July of that year, Hizb-i Islami forces ambushed a group of Jam’iyyat-i Islami troops on their way home from a meeting with Massoud in Takhar province, killing 30 members of the group.
