Afghanistan's Ethnic Strife Following the Taliban's Resurgence

Abstract

The multiethnic makeup of Afghanistan has long thwarted peacebuilding attempts and increased tensions amongst the country's many ethnic groups, and as a result, no policy has yet been implemented to specifically meet the needs of any one of them. After the Taliban rose to power again in Afghanistan, tensions between the country's various ethnic groups only grew worse. The article's theoretical foundation was the theory of Protracted Social Conflict developed by Edward Azars. This idea provides more detail and helps pinpoint the causes of the ethnic strife in Afghanistan. This nation sits at the crossroads of four major Asian landmasses: the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Its strategic significance stems from its status as a historic and cultural crossroads. Bordering countries included Iran to the west and Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan to the east. Over time, its advantageous position attracted people of many various cultural backgrounds.