Bibliotheken Online

Afghanistan

Lessons identified 2001-2014

Buch

englisch

DIIS Report

DIIS

Copenhagen

2016

94 p.

978-87-7605-807-4

afghanistan

The countries contributing to the international coalition in Afghanistan failed to establish a joint framework capable of combining long-term development goals with short term security needs. This is the main conclusion in the report ”International Lessons with Integrated Approaches in Afghanistan” prepared by DIIS, the Danish Institute for international Studies.

In November 2014 the political parties behind the Danish engagement in Afghanistan asked DIIS to clarify the international experiences with integrating the political, development and military efforts in Afghanistan, including how the military efforts have influences the efforts to win the hearts and minds of the civilian population. The study is presented at a conference in the Danish Parliament on 9 June along with the two other studies that comprise the Danish Lessons Identified.

Though many countries developed different versions of integrated approach, the problems they faced were the same. The consensus is, however, that if civil-military cooperation is to function, it must be established and managed at the highest possible level, both internally – and especially between – the relevant countries and organisations. It is not possible to create coherence in the field if headquarters or leaders are in fact more or less openly fighting for influence and resources.

The study also identifies a number of determining contradictions in the international approach to creating effective and legitimate Afghan state structures. The integrated efforts have especially been undermined by the fact that the numerous civil and military actions were not aligned with the Afghan state, and that the efforts – particularly in the war against terror – actively supported armed groups and local warlords who had neither the trust of the civil population nor an interest in building an efficient and legitimate state with a seat in Kabul.

The report identifies a number of recommendations for future integrated approaches in other fragile states, including the need for:

Much stronger international emphasis and focus on creating political solutions. Lasting peace is created through political processes, not by using various combinations of development aid and military means.

Knowing the context and actually taking this complexity into consideration rather than relying on simplistic ideas about eg. fragility and state building. The planning – and implementation – of future interventions should be based on thorough and dynamic analysis of the specific conflict, the history of the country, the relationship to the neighbours and other states. Personnel need to understand the cultural, religious and political traditions in the country they are posted to.

Lowering the level of ambition and heightening strategic patience. If the efforts are to make a positive difference, a significantly longer time horizon is needed than the two to three years that are typically considered ”long term” in the context of stabilisation.

Understanding how resources from external actors – civil as well as military – affect the host country’s political and financial systems. Sudden massive injections of resources in countries with weak or collapsed institutions can increase corruption and crate a conflict economy in which powerful actors are neither interested in, nor have incentives to, change the status quo.

DIIS Experts
Louise Riis Andersen
Senior Researcher
International Lessons from Integrated Approaches in Afghanistan
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