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.
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-yi Afghanistan 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.
As one of the seven main Pakistan-based Mujahideen groups, Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan became part of the Afghan government installed in 1992, after the resignation of President Najibullah. When Junbish-i Milli-yi Islami leader Abdul Rashid Dostum was appointed General of the Armed Forces by this new government, relations between the Mujahideen parties worsened as Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan demanded Dostum and his new organization Junbish-i Milli-yi Islami, to withdraw from Kabul. Dostum’s refusal gave Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan leader Hekmatyar an excuse to launch an offensive against Kabul and the two groups fought each other as part of the intrastate armed conflict over the government in 1992 and 1993.
When Dostum was not granted a cabinet position legitimizing his authority, the group allied with Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan against the government between 1994 and 1996. Despite being allies in the conflict against the government, the two groups clashes on several occasions in Kabul in 1994, reportedly over the division of looted goods. Two years later, hundreds of people were killed when clashes erupted in Baghlan province between Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan and an Ismaili group allied with Junbish-i Milli-yi Islami.
The non-state conflict between Hizb-i Islami-yi Afghanistan and Junbish-i Milli-yi Islami is first included in UCDP data in 1994. In April that year, clashes in Kabul had resulted in at least 27 battle-related deaths.
