Jump to content

National Resistance Front of Afghanistan

Page extended-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Panjshir alliance)
For the historical anti-Taliban military resistance, see Northern Alliance.

National Resistance Front of Afghanistan
جبههٔ مقاومت ملی (Dari)
د ملي مقاومت جبهه (Pashto)
LeaderAhmad Massoud
Foreign ministerAli Maisam Nazary[4]
SpokespersonMohammad Fahim Dashty †
Dates of operation17 August 2021 – present
HeadquartersTajikistan
Active regionsPanjshir, Parwan, Baghlan, Wardak, Daykundi, and Samangan provinces, Afghanistan
IdeologyDemocratism[5]
Decentralization[6]
Multiculturalism[6]
Social justice[6]
StatusActive
SizeUnknown[7]
Allies Afghanistan Freedom Front
 Tajikistan (alleged)[8][9]
Opponents Taliban
Battles and warsAfghan conflict

The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF),[1][10][11] also known as the Second Resistance,[12][13][14][15] is a military alliance of former Northern Alliance members and other anti-Taliban fighters loyal to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.[16] The founder and president of NRF is Ahmad Massoud. When the Taliban captured Afghanistan on 15 August 2021, former first vice president Amrullah Saleh, citing provisions of the 2004 Constitution, declared himself the caretaker president of Afghanistan and announced the republican resistance against the Taliban.[17][18][19] Saleh's claim to the presidency was endorsed by Ahmad Massoud,[20][19][16] as well as by former Afghan Minister of Defence Bismillah Mohammadi, and the Afghan embassy in Tajikistan including its ambassador Mohammad Zahir Aghbar.[20][19][16]

The NRF exercised de facto control over the Panjshir Valley, which is largely contiguous with Panjshir Province and, as of August 2021, was "the only region out of the Taliban's hands."[18][21] The alliance constitutes the only organized resistance to the Taliban in the country, and is possibly planning an anti-Taliban guerilla struggle.[16][22] The resistance has called for an "inclusive government" of Afghanistan;[20] one of their objectives is speculated to be a stake in the new Afghan government.[16] However, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban's leader, has effectively ruled out an inclusive government.[23]

On 6 September 2021, the Taliban claimed victory in controlling the province. The NRF, however, denied the Taliban victory, stating they continued to hold positions across the valley.[24] As of December 2022, the NRF controls no territory but continues to carry out hit and run guerrilla attacks.[25]

History

View of the Panjshir valley

A mountainous region, Panjshir was a formidable base of operations for anti-Soviet fighters and later for the original Northern Alliance.[16][22] It was the birthplace of anti-Soviet and Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud.[26] Ahmad Shah Massoud's son, Ahmad Massoud, is widely seen as his successor.[27]

In July 2021, during the 2021 Taliban offensive, the remnants of the Northern Alliance began mobilizing under an umbrella called Resistance II.[21][28]

On 9 September, the NRF announced that a parallel government will be created in response to the Taliban's formation of its government in Kabul.[29] It was announced on 29 September that Amrullah Saleh will lead the government in exile, according to a statement published by the Afghan Embassy in Geneva, Switzerland, which also backs the NRF.[30]

On 1 November, it was reported that the NRF has opened a liaison office in Washington DC after being registered with the US Justice Department in order to carry out lobbying missions to various politicians working in the city.[31]

On 23 November, Sibghatullah Ahmadi was appointed as the new spokesman of the NRF. The position was previously held by Mohammad Fahim Dashty, who was killed during the Taliban offensive into Panjshir on 5 September.[32] Ahmadi served in this capacity until his resignation in April 2023.[33][34]

On 1 September 2024, Ahmad Massoud claimed in an interview that the NRF has 5,000 fighters.[35]

Coalescence in Panjshir

Main article: Republican insurgency in Afghanistan

Following the Fall of Kabul, anti-Taliban forces, including former Vice President Saleh, moved into the Panjshir Valley, the only area of Afghanistan not controlled by the Taliban, in order to create a new resistance front.[36][37][18]

As of 17 August, the Panjshir Valley was—according to one observer—"under siege on all sides" but had not come under direct attack.[38] Ahmad Massoud wrote in an op-ed to The Washington Post on 18 August 2021, calling for the rest of the world to help them, as he admits that ammunition and supplies will run out unless Panjshir can be supplied.[39] Massoud has stated his desire to negotiate with the Taliban.[40] Ali Maisam Nazary, spokesman for the resistance, said that the Taliban were overstretched after they seized control of Kabul.[41]

On 17 August 2021, ethnic Tajik former soldiers of the Afghan National Army began to arrive in the Panjshir valley, with tanks and personnel carriers in support of the resistance.[42][2] They regrouped in Andarab district, Baghlan after they escaped Kunduz, Badakhshan, Takhar, and Baghlan before moving to the safety of Panjshir.[2]

According to unconfirmed reports, Saleh's command managed to recapture Charikar, the provincial capital of Parwan Province, which had been held by the Taliban since 15 August, and that fighting had begun in Panjshir.[43][44] At around the same time, unconfirmed reports stated that remnants of the Afghan National Army had begun massing in the Panjshir Valley at the urging of Massoud, along with the Minister of Defense Bismillah Mohammadi and provincial commanders.[16][45][18] Local civilians also responded to his calls to be mobilized.[46]

Tasnim reporter interviewing resistance fighter, 11 September 2021

The Panjshir resistance also claimed to have the support of Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Muhammad Nur on 18 August 2021, while it was reported that members of Dostum's group, which had retreated into Uzbekistan, said that 10,000 of their soldiers could join forces with the Panjshir resistance, creating a combined force of 15,000 or more.[43][47] On the same day, Afghan Embassy employees in Tajikistan have replaced photos of Ghani in the embassy building with those of Saleh.[48]

According to anonymous ex-American and British soldiers, some of whom were formerly Afghan-based contractors, numerous Afghans living/working abroad have been working together to raise money in order to assist the Panjshir-based fighters.[49]

Baghlan Province

On 20 August 2021, a group of anti-Taliban forces was organised in Baghlan Province, headed by Abdul Hamid Dadgar.[50] The group took over the Andarab, Pul-e-Hesar and De Salah districts of Baghlan Province, killing or injuring 60 Taliban fighters as they did so. In the mid-afternoon, unconfirmed reports from Panjshir stated that Pul-e-Hesar was taken back from the Taliban, and that fighting was still raging in De Salah and Banu, with a reporter with Iran International reporting soon after that first Andarab and then De Salah fell to the resistance.[51]

According to Sediqullah Shuja, a former member of the Afghan National Security Forces, the reasons for the removal of the Taliban from the Andarab valley towns was the Taliban's searching of private houses, which was perceived as a violation of the agreement by which the Taliban had been allowed to take military control of the towns.[46] Shuja stated that the Taliban entered houses "and harassed people. In our villages, people are very traditional and Muslim.[46] There is no reason for Taliban to come and teach us about Islam." Former Baghlan prison commander Abdul Rahman stated that "All people of the valley have risen up against the Taliban. We are not afraid of Taliban fighters."[46]

Overseas work

On 16 September 2022, Ahmad Massoud urged fellow Afghans living overseas to work together to find a way to end Taliban rule and bring them back to negotiations.[52] On 30 November – 1 December 2022, Karen Decker, charge d'affaires of the U.S. mission to Afghanistan, attended a meeting with anti-Taliban figures in Tajikistan.[53] In 2023, former Afghan military officials opened the office of Afghanistan United Front in the United States and Sami Sadat, a former Afghan general, asked for U.S. help during a hearing with the U.S. House of Representatives.[54]

Presence

As of August 2024, the NRF is reported to have fighters present in Panjshir, Baghlan, Parwan, Kapisa, Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunar, Kunduz, Kabul, Laghman, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Samangan, Balkh, Badghis, Ghor, Herat, Farah, Nimroz, and Sar-i-Pul.[55]

According to Luke Coffey, the NRF depends on arms they have stockpiled or acquired from corrupt Taliban personnel.[56]

Analysis

Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov labeled the resistance as "doomed" and that the resistance would fail. Zhirnov further stated that Saleh's proclamation of caretaker president is unconstitutional and added that they have "no military prospects".[57] Zhirnov also stated his plans to mediate talks between the Resistance and the Taliban.[58]

According to The Economist, the resistance's cause looked "forlorn".[59] The Independent mentions concerns that the fighters in Panjshir are likely to be outmatched as Taliban fighters have captured or acquired western-made military weapons and equipment with artillery and aircraft during the offensive.[49]

An anonymous Afghan journalist said that the group needs to start making plans for a drawn-out resistance against the Taliban if they are to hold Panjshir.[60] Analyst Bill Roggio also argued that the Panjshir resistance's "prospects are bleak", although their base was well-defendable, and Saleh could rely on a wide network of potential supporters across the entire country.[2] Afghan specialist Gilles Dorronsoro from Sorbonne University said that Taliban forces could enforce a lockdown on Panjshir, since it was not a major threat.[61] There was also a concern with Saleh and Massoud coming from different political backgrounds, with the latter not having the same level of charisma as his father, even though both oppose the Taliban.[61] Kim Sengupta said that support for the resistance would depend on how unpopular the Taliban were and how far people would be willing to stand up against them despite the Taliban's insistence that they would not allow their fighters to persecute people who had worked with the previous government or with NATO-led forces.[49]

David Loyn suggested that the resistance had a better chance of gaining more support from Afghans of other ethnic groups resisting the Taliban if Saleh were seen as the head of a broad coalition rather than only representing Tajiks.[62] Loyn said that the rest of the world might have a reason not to recognize the Taliban if the fighters continued to face the Taliban and recapture territory.[62]

Foreign Policy stated that there are generations of Afghans who had not previously experienced life under Taliban rule and were likely to resist.[63] They stated that if the Taliban continued to target persons with links to the former government, then support for resistance would grow, but that support would drop if a future government included Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah.[63]

Kaweh Kerami warned that if the Taliban were able to defeat the Panjshir fighters, then they would be able to roll back the gains[clarification needed] made by the international community in developing Afghanistan. He also said that there would be resistance if the Taliban's ideas on an inclusive government meant the inclusion of a few "weak" politicians from previous government administrations.[64]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "The mujahideen resistance to the Taliban begins now. But we need help". Washington Post. 18 August 2021. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Roggio, Bill (18 August 2021). "After fall of Kabul, resistance to Taliban emerges in Panjshir". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  3. ^ Filseth, Trevor (7 September 2021). "Panjshir Resistance: Heavy Fighting as Taliban Escalate Attacks". Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Afghanistan: The 'undefeated' Panjshir Valley - an hour from Kabul". BBC News. 26 August 2021. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. "The Red Army, with its might, was unable to defeat us... And the Taliban also 25 years ago... they tried to take over the valley and they failed, they faced a crushing defeat," Ali Nazary, the NRF's head of foreign relations, told the BBC.
  5. ^ Ali Maisam Nazary (19 August 2021). "What the Taliban Really Fear". Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Peter Bergen (1 September 2021). "The leader of the anti-Taliban resistance speaks out". CNN. Archived from the original on 26 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Do the Taliban Face Potent Armed Resistance in Afghanistan?". VOA. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Afghan resistance has sanctuary in Tajikistan, but fighting Taliban a 'non-viable prospect'". France24. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan diverge on approaches to Afghanistan". eurasianet. 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Afghan leader of Taliban resistance urges West to "supply us without delay"". Newsweek. 19 August 2021. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  11. ^ "National Resistance Front Of Afghanistan | The Irish Times". www.irishtimes.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Analysis Northern Afghanistan once kept out the Taliban. Why has it fallen so quickly this time?". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Taliban promises not to move to Panshir; Ahmad Massoud says he is ready to give his blood for his land". asiaplustj.info. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Preparing for a Post-Departure Afghanistan: Changing political dynamics in the wake of the US troop withdrawal announcement". Afghanistan Analysts Network. 4 June 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  15. ^ "He promised an "organized resistance" to Taliban rule. Now he wants U.S. help to lead the fight". www.cbsnews.com. 19 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Graham-Harrison, Emma (18 August 2021). "'Panjshir stands strong': Afghanistan's last holdout against the Taliban". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Afghan vice president says he is "caretaker" president". reuters.com. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d "An anti-Taliban front forming in Panjshir? Ex top spy Saleh, son of 'Lion of Panjshir' meet at citadel". The Week. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  19. ^ a b c "Panjshir flies flag of resistance again; Amrullah says he is President of Afghanistan". Tribune India. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  20. ^ a b c Kramer, Andrew E. (18 August 2021). "Leaders in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley defy the Taliban and demand an inclusive government". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  21. ^ a b Brick Murtazashvili, Jennifer (28 July 2021). "Northern Afghanistan once kept out the Taliban. Why has it fallen so quickly this time?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  22. ^ a b "The Panjshir Valley: what is the main bastion of resistance against the Taliban advance in Afghanistan". Market Research Telecast. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023.
  23. ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma (1 July 2022). "'It's our system': Taliban leader hits out at foreign demands on Afghan regime". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  24. ^ Robertson, Nic; Kohzad, Nilly; Lister, Tim; Regan, Helen (6 September 2021). "Taliban claims victory in Panjshir, but resistance forces say they still control strategic position in the valley". CNN. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  25. ^ Dawi, Akmal (20 December 2022). "Frustrated with the Taliban, US Officials Meet Anti-Taliban Figures". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 26 May 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2022. The NRF has executed hit-and-run attacks against the Taliban in some parts of Afghanistan but has not been able to hold territory.
  26. ^ Szczepanski, Kallie. "The Brave Life and Tragic Death of Afghanistan's Lion of the Panjshir". ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  27. ^ "Ahmad Massoud Declared As His Father's Successor". TOLOnews. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023.
  28. ^ Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy (13 July 2021). "Northern Alliance plans to regroup: Resistance leaders seek arms to fight Taliban in Northern Afghanistan". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  29. ^ "Panjshir resistance to declare parallel govt in Afghanistan". 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022.
  30. ^ "Islamic Republic of Afghanistan announces govt in exile led by Amrullah Saleh". 29 September 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023.
  31. ^ Gul, Ayaz (1 November 2021). "Anti-Taliban Group Registers with US to Try to Build Afghan Resistance". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023.
  32. ^ "NRF introduces its new spokesperson". Aamaj News. 23 November 2021. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  33. ^ "Senior member of "National Resistance Front" led by Ahmad Massoud: We will soon announce fundamental changes in the front". Pixstory. 10 April 2023. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  34. ^ Afghan Chronicle (8 April 2023). "Sibghatullah Ahmadi, the spokesman of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, resigned from his position". Twitter. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Leader of Afghanistan's resistance movement says he will defeat the Taliban 'no matter the odds' | CNN Politics". September 2024.
  36. ^ AFP (17 August 2021). "Defiant Afghan ex-VP vows new fight with Taliban". Digital Journal. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  37. ^ Mitra, Anwesha (17 August 2021). "As Taliban takes over, one Afghan province is still standing strong – Here's the story of Ahmad Shah Massoud and his bastion Panjshir". The Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  38. ^ Mottram, Linda (17 August 2021). "Resistance and refugees: the Afghan province holding out against the Taliban". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  39. ^ "Protests against Afghan Taliban spread in early signs of resistance". Rappler. 19 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  40. ^ Mackenzie, James (22 August 2021). "Anti-Taliban leader Massoud wants to talk but ready to fight". Reuters. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  41. ^ "Afghan resistance ready for conflict but prefers negotiations". France24. 22 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  42. ^ "Panjshir flies flag of resistance". Tribune India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023.
  43. ^ a b Dikshit, Sandeep (18 August 2021). "Afghan crisis: Panjshiris remain defiant, claim Uzbek leader Dostum's support". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  44. ^ "Источник: силы вице-президента Афганистана ведут бои с талибами в Панджшере [Source: Forces of Afghanistan's Vice President Continue to Fight the Taliban in Panjshir]". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022.
  45. ^ "'Northern Alliance' flag hoisted in Panjshir in first resistance against Taliban". Hindustan Times. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  46. ^ a b c d Mehrdad, Ezzatullah; Raghavan, Sudarsan (20 August 2021). "Anti-Taliban fighters claim victories as first stirrings of armed resistance emerge". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  47. ^ "Operations". National Resistance Front: Fighting for a Free Afghanistan. The National Resistance Front. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  48. ^ Ray, Siladitya (18 August 2021). "Afghan Embassy In Tajikistan Demands Interpol Arrest Escaped Former President Ashraf Ghani". Forbes. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  49. ^ a b c Sengupta, Kim (20 August 2021). "The fightback begins: Resistance to Taliban starts but chance of success is low". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  50. ^ "Anti-Taliban militia take hold of Baghlan province". The Independent. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022.
  51. ^ Roche, Darragh (20 August 2021). "Anti-Taliban Resistance Recaptures Multiple Areas as Afghans Fight Back". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023.
  52. ^ "Afghan Insurgent Leader Calls for New Anti-Taliban 'Political' Front". Voice of America. Agence France-Presse. 16 September 2022. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022.
  53. ^ "Frustrated with the Taliban, US Officials Meet Anti-Taliban Figures". 20 December 2022.
  54. ^ Dawi, Akmal (5 December 2023). "Afghan Insurgent Groups Step Up Attacks, Political Campaign Against Taliban". VOA. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  55. ^ "The US Should Support the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan | Hudson Institute". 10 September 2024.
  56. ^ "Taliban and the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan – Analysis". 26 June 2024.
  57. ^ Vasilyeva, Maria (20 August 2021). "Resistance to Taliban is doomed, says Russian envoy to Afghanistan". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  58. ^ "Russia set to help Taliban reach political deal with 'resistance' leaders at Panjshir". The Week. 22 August 2021. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  59. ^ "From Saigon to Kabul: what America's Afghan fiasco means for the world". The Economist. 21 August 2021. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023.
  60. ^ "Glavin: Afghan resistance gears up for the long, predictable battle ahead". ottawacitizen. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  61. ^ a b "Afghan holdout will struggle against Taliban assault, say analysts". France 24. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  62. ^ a b Loyn, David (22 August 2021). "Panjshir valley and the last resistance to the Taliban | The Spectator". www.spectator.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  63. ^ a b Detsch, Robbie Gramer, Jack (20 August 2021). "An Anti-Taliban Front Is Already Forming. Can It Last?". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  64. ^ Kerami, Kaweh (24 August 2021). "Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley: the last stronghold of resistance to Taliban rule". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Resistance_Front_of_Afghanistan&oldid=1256905995"