Afghan dissatisfaction

Depending on the source, between 1,000 and 3,000 demonstrators poured out onto the streets of Taloqan in northern Afghanistan on Wednesday. They wanted to express their anger at a night raid conducted by Afghan and NATO troops that killed four, including two women.

The killings were condemned by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who said the four were innocent. The Taliban also denounced the raid. NATO-led forces maintained that four armed insurgents had been killed.

Eyewitnesses reported that protesters had chanted "Death to Karzai, death to the Americans" outside a Provincial Reconstruction Team base in Talaqan, which is usually relatively peaceful. At least 12 people are thought to have died in shooting - it is still unclear who fired the shots.

A spokesperson for the German army said that the Afghan police and security services had opened fire on the protesters. Most of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force troops in northern Afghanistan are German.

However, the provincial governor Abdul Jabar Taqwa refuted the allegation saying the police had not been allowed to shoot. "It is the people in the Provincial Reconstruction Team who shot. They also threw hand grenades into the crowds. That’s why some people were killed and wounded.

"Also, masked and bearded men on motorcycles mingled with the crowds. They shot at people to inflame the atmosphere. They were Taliban from the villages."

Uncertainty reigns

The uncertainty around the protests and deaths also holds true for the incident that triggered them in the first place. ISAF has said that the four who were killed were from the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. It has said the operation was pre-planned with Afghan officials. But the governor of the province also refuted this.

Amanullah, who lives in the region, said that there were several reasons for the anger of the protesters and that "people in the province are dissatisfied because government officials are only elected because of connections."

Mirwais Patsun from Helmand agreed and said that the mood was currently at a very low point. "Houses are being destroyed. Women and children are killed. I think that this is neither good for the Afghans, nor for the international community. These bombardments and nightly raids will never be accepted. That’s why the Afghan government and the international community are failing to win the hearts of the people."

On Thursday, at least three people were injured when protests continued on the streets of Taloqan.

Authors: Ute Hempelmann and Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi / act
Editor: Ziphora Robina