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Asia
Afghanistan can look back on an eventful history. Influenced by many different cultures – from Alexander the Great's Hellenistic civilisation to Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam – many empires have formed over the course of centuries on the territory of what is now Afghanistan. As part of the Silk Road, the country was integrated into international and long-distance trade early on. In the 19th century, Afghanistan was established as a nation-state within its present borders. At that time, rivals Great Britain and Russia fought for control of the region. The British finally gained the upper hand and established a protectorate at the end of the 19th century. Afghanistan gained independence in 1919. In the face of competition from traditional power structures, the structures of a modern state have been slow to develop in Afghanistan. However, by the mid 20th century, an urban society and economy had developed in the towns and cities, and the Afghan state had consolidated its claim to power throughout the country.
After a violent uprising, known as the April Revolution, civil war broke out in 1978, however. In late 1979, the Soviet Union intervened on the government's side and invaded Afghanistan. Ten years of guerrilla warfare then followed, with Afghan resistance fighters, the Mujahideen, backed primarily by the US and Pakistan, on one side and the Afghan government backed by the Soviet Army on the other. But even the withdrawal of the Soviet troops in 1989 did not bring peace: the civil war waged by the Mujahideen against the Afghan government continued.
In 1992, the Mujahideen captured Kabul and proclaimed an Islamic state. It was not long, however, before rival Mujahideen groups were fighting each other. Kabul was destroyed, and Afghanistan was split into zones of influence, ruled over by several different warlords. Against this backdrop, a new movement of radical Islamists formed – the Taliban. In 1996, the Taliban occupied Kabul and began to impose their particular ideas of authority. Until the end of the 1990s, the Mujahideen, which had joined forces in the so-called Northern Alliance, were pushed back into a small area on the country's north-eastern border. After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, an international alliance, led by the US, overthrew the Taliban regime.
In 2001, after 23 years of war, the country was left with hundreds of thousands dead, some 7 million refugees, an infrastructure that was completely devastated, and extreme poverty.
New beginning in 2001
Since 2001, the Afghan government and the international community have been facing the enormous challenge of creating and consolidating lasting peace in Afghanistan. Economic, social and political structures must be restored or established for the first time.
The foundations for the political reconstruction of the country were laid at the end of 2001 at a conference held at Petersberg just outside Bonn. Since then, the main democratic institutions have been put in place, and the general political climate has become considerably more favourable for women. Afghanistan now has a constitution that gives women and girls the same rights as men and boys and ensures that women are represented in parliament. Afghan civil society and the media have experienced dynamic development. Since 2001, major progress has also been achieved in the economic and social spheres: the Afghan economy has been achieving double-digit annual average growth rates, child mortality has decreased significantly, and the number of children in school has increased sevenfold – to mention just a few examples. The poor security situation gives cause for concern, however; it is making it difficult to secure and build on the successes achieved and to make further progress on economic and social development across the country.
Relations between Afghanistan and Germany
Afghan-German relations have a long and positive history, reaching back to the start of the 20th century. The two countries have a tradition of close cooperation in many areas. Germany is now home to almost 90,000 people of Afghan origin.
The German government is playing an important role in the country's reconstruction. This involvement will probably have to be maintained for a long time in order to safeguard the new beginning in Afghanistan.
Germany is pursuing an integrated approach which consists of civilian and military assistance. This also includes sending troops to Afghanistan. Some 4,500 men and women of the German armed forces are currently serving as members of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), helping to secure peace in Afghanistan and train the Afghan security forces. This helps to create a secure environment for reconstruction and development. On 26 February 2010, the German Bundestag extended the mandate of the German armed forces in Afghanistan by a further year. The upper limit for troop numbers was raised to more than 5,350.
Development cooperation
Development cooperation between Afghanistan and Germany focuses on the following priority areas: good governance, energy, drinking water, sustainable economic development, basic education and vocational training. Good governance is a priority area which includes the promotion of the rule of law and human rights, in particular to improve the situation of women and girls, and the promotion of peacebuilding mechanisms.
German Embassy
German Embassy in Afghanistan
Wazir Akbar Khan, Mena 6
Kabul
Afghanistan
Phone: +93 / 20 / 210 15 12
External link
