It is going to be one and a half years since the Taliban rule in Afghanistan started on August 15, 2021. The Taliban regime still run by the caretaker government struggling to get recognized by a single nation in the world. The economy is a sham and a large section of the population of the country faces starvation that needs quick humanitarian support. Human rights violations are vast and half of the population, the women, are deprived of work, education, and freedom. In the absence of freedom of media and censorship, a gross violation of human rights, extrajudicial killing, land confiscations, and mass displacement are happening under the Taliban regime but the Taliban still using the concept of general amnesty a fake proclamation as a bargaining chip and as a propaganda tool in negotiation with the international community. The Taliban look to the general amnesty as a tactic for short-term gains rather than consider it as a long-term strategy.
Announcement of a general amnesty
The Taliban’s formal announcement of general amnesty (Afw-e-Omoomi) in September 2021 reminds us of the Jalalabad war of 1989 between former Mujahidin and the Afghan communist regime. the war happened when the Soviet Union had withdrawn its forces, and the Mujahidin and allies were waiting for the regime to collapse. They planned the war to capture the strategic city of Jalalabad bordering Pakistan and the operation started in March 1989. Initially, the Mujahidin owned victory and captured the airport but then faced fierce fighting by government forces which led them to cancel the operation leaving 3000 dead behind. The main reason for Mujahidin’s failure and the determination of government forces to fight was the mischief and cruelty of Mujahidin towards captured soldiers. The soldiers who have been tortured and executed put no choices before them but to die or to win the war. This time, the Taliban did not want to repeat the bitter experience of their brothers, therefore used the tactic of general amnesty, and captured the army garrisons one by one in the final months leading to their victory.
In 1990 and the last 20 years of conflict, the Taliban took every violent means to move on their agendas and when they took over Kabul on 15 August 2021, there was mass fear among Afghans for extrajudicial killings. Former Afghan armed forces, social activists, administrators, and government employees went hiding or fled to the neighbouring countries, Iran, and Pakistan.
Afghans desperately knocking every door to save themselves from the Taliban atrocities. For that matter, a large number of Afghans rushed to the Kabul airport hoping to be let in and get evacuated by the international forces. International media broadcasted footage of falling people in the air who attached themselves to the plane of the American air force. The incident was later named skydiving by the western and American media. To calm down the situation the Taliban officially announced a general amnesty, promising to not harm those who worked with previous regimes militarily or in civilian sectors. The Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mojahid issued a statement saying that “we are assuring the security and safety of those who have worked with the United States and the allied forces”. To ensure further, Mullah Yaqob the current Minister of Defense of the Taliban and the son of the founder of the Taliban stated in a voice message that “no one is allowed to take revenge against anyone in the country”. His point was directed at the Taliban officials and foot soldiers. Although the Taliban have been using general amnesty in luring the armed forces to surrender their posts for months, they announced it officially only when they captured power in Kabul.
Why the general amnesty?
The question could be raised that why the Taliban announced the general amnesty. Do they believe in it? Do they implement it full-heartedly? Perhaps not, because the Taliban look to the general amnesty as a tactical move to gain some advantages. First, winning the hearts of Afghan forces to surrender their post was a difficult task and the general amnesty allowed the Taliban to do so to bring more territories under their control. This tactic has been used in the last months of the 20 years of conflict. Second, the Taliban had a dark image before Afghans and the international community therefore they wanted to present a positive and different image of themselves and to prepare the ground for the recognition of their government. Third, they were afraid of public anger and the possibility of a general uprising against the Taliban thus to calm down and neutralize those possibilities, a general amnesty was a good choice. Fourth, there were enormous cases of kidnapping, torturing, killing, and terrorizing against the Taliban so they used this concept to paint wash their past atrocities and to bury the concept of transitional justice, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Fifth, by announcing amnesty toward their enemies, the Taliban changed the place of criminals and the victims portraying themselves as victims who now forgive their enemies, therefore, passing the last 20 years of atrocities to the Afghan armed forces and the previous regime.
The reality on the ground
Unfortunately, the reality on the ground is different from the statements and assurances issued by the Taliban officials. Right after the Taliban take over, video after videos pop up on social media showing the Taliban extra judicial killings. For example, the footage shows a man who was handcuffed and rained by bullets and in another video, a group of soldiers were lined up by the Taliban and massacred. According to New York Times in the first six months of the Taliban rule around 500 officials of the former government and the members of previous Afghan forces were killed and forcefully disappeared and the whereabouts have not been disclosed yet. It is true when the regime changes and the law and order gets recovered, acts of revenge might happen, but the killing and disappearance have not been limited to the first six months. Based on the UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documentation, from January to May 2022, around 40 extra-judicial killings have been conducted by the Taliban. These are the cases which have been reported but hundreds of cases are going to be unreported fearing backlash and reprisal by the Taliban. The situation is much worse than what has been reported.
Taliban has three enemies: the National Resistance Front, the Islamic State of Khurasan Province (ISKP), and the former Afghan Armed Forces. Sometimes the Taliban are mixing these three altogether and therefore they arrest, kidnap, disappear, and kill their opposition labelling them affiliated with these groups. The Taliban think that they have established the Islamic State and allegiance to it is a must. Anyone who stands against it is baghi or rebel subject to suppression and elimination. The religious books provide them with enough reasons to justify their actions. General amnesty for the Taliban was/is the tactic and to a certain extent, they have used it very successfully. Most importantly by promising general amnesty to the security forces, they were able to capture more territories and finally, the takeover of Kabul led to the republic collapse and the withdrawal of the US military forces from Afghanistan.