By:
Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
Abstract: For the first time in contemporary Afghan
history, a number of warlords sit in open meeting to listen to
a report of the atrocities committed by their alliance against
humanity. For the first time, these warlords admonish their
commanders and demand of their troops to observe human
rights. Is this an awakening of the conscience in otherwise
heartless warlords and commanders who only knew how to kill?
Should this change, from how to kill to how to live, be taken
as a good omen for a new peaceful Afghanistan that is in the
making and where human rights are expected to be upheld and
true fraternity to reign, or should it be taken as another
attempt by warlords to forgive themselves and their troops for
the atrocities of the past?
In a report published by the Christian
Science Monitor on May 9, 2002, Ilene Prusher, its staff
writer says: “General Abdul Rashid Dostum, northern
Afghanistan’s most important power broker, signed a peace and
cooperation agreement with three rival warlords yesterday,
during an unprecedented meeting at which he admonished more
than 90 commanders for alleged atrocities committed by their
soldiers after the fall of Taliban.”
The report states that Dostum was
responding to a 52-page human-rights report that was given to
him by the United Nations. The human-rights report had
detailed atrocities by the northern alliance troops against
civilians and ethnic Pashtuns residing in northern
Afghanistan.
It is a fact that almost all warlords in
Afghanistan are accused of either committing or allowing
excesses against civilians. They are accused of killing the
innocent, torturing of the non-combatants, and also of
committing crimes against women. It is also a fact that all
ethnic groupings have been dragged into this vicious circle of
inhuman conduct against members of other ethnic groups whom
they had found weakened and unprotected and who had risen
again to avenge their sufferings.
The May 8, 2002 meeting held by Dostum
and attended by the Tajik Gaeneral Atta Muhammed one of his
rivals and another ethnic commander Sayedee, a Hazara and two
other commanders, reflects a stirring of human emotions in the
minds of commanders who only knew how to “kill.” This time,
they are talking about how to “live.” In the meeting, the
military leaders of the northern alliance expressed doubt over
the correctness of the report by human-rights groups, but
after having been made to listen to the entire report, talked
about an obligation in front of the United Nations by the
northern alliance at least in the five northern provinces to
abide by the norms of human rights and to refrain from acts
that could lead to them being accused of war crimes and crimes
against humanity.
Many examples of atrocities had been
cited in the report and as is customary, the warlords referred
to their troops as those who should refrain from now on of
committing the same. The tone, again as expected, was of
forgetting and forgiving provided the future conduct of the
troops was according to norms set up by their commanders. And
these commanders seem to have awakened suddenly to the reality
that there is a term called responsibility and a trend that
goes after those who breach human laws and trample upon human
rights. A simple admonishment may not be enough.
Let us congratulate the United Nations
for at least getting these warlords to open their eyes and
minds to the need for providing the Afghan nation with
instruments of dignity, justice, peace, love and true
brotherly feelings. Let us celebrate this awakening as a
welcome omen for a peaceful, contented and happy Afghanistan
that is in the making. Let us also hope for the day that those
who did smear their hands with the blood of the innocent are
taken to justice by the human beings whose rights they have
trampled upon. 5/11/02