Developmental Challenges in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is one of the least developed countries in the world. It faces a plethora of challenges in the face of growth which have stemmed from its tumultuous past. By understanding Afghanistan’s geography and history, one may better comprehend why a poor economy, corrupt government, and many humanitarian crises have overwhelmed the nation. All of these issues make achieving development extremely difficult. The main obstacle for development in Afghanistan, however, is the on-going violence which endures in the country. This is the foremost barrier because armed conflict has destroyed the economy, it prevents the government from developing into a sustainable democracy, and it directly threatens the lives and well-beings of the Afghan people.
Afghanistan is a landlocked country bordered by six other countries in south-central Asia. Its location lies across important trade routes which unite Asia to Europe and the Middle East. For this reason, throughout history it has been sought out and fought over by empire builders and conquerors (Dupree et al., 2018). Afghanistan’s isolation, which makes trade difficult, and vulnerability to imperialism, which has led to years of war and ruin, have played roles in its lack of development today.
The people of Afghanistan are very diverse; the nation is home to many ethnicities and many different languages are spoken. This is to such a great extent that the country has faced difficulty in rounding up its ethnically diverse population into a cohesive nation, and is instead more like a patchwork of “ethnic factions and ever-shifting alliances” (Dupree et al., 2018). This indeed hinders the development of a government that is representative of everyone and able to serve all of their unique needs. It is difficult to know exactly how large each ethnic group is, as there has not been a national consensus since 1979, and an ethnic count today is impossible due to war and population dislocation (Dupree et al., 2018). However, it is estimated that the largest ethnic groups are the Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazara, with the Uzbeks, Chahar Aimak, and Turkmen making up smaller portions of the population (Dupree et al., 2018). Despite their differences, almost all Afghans are Muslim (Dupree et al., 2018).
Afghanistan has a long history of being conquered by great empires, from Persian rule, to Mongol rule under Genghis Khan (PBS News Desk, 2014). However, in 1747, Afghanistan became its own nation when Ahmad Shah Durrani unified the Pashtun tribes to create the Durrani Empire (PBS News Desk, 2014). During the late 19th century, Afghanistan served as a buffer state between the British Indian Empire and the Russian Empire (Central Intelligent Agency, 2018). Britain even attempted to annex Afghanistan in an effort to protect its Indian empire from Russia, which resulted in several British-Afghan wars (PBS News Desk, 2014). In 1919, Afghanistan won independence from British control (Central Intelligent Agency, 2018). From there, Zahir Shah became king in 1933 and the country remained a monarchy for the next four decades (PBS News Desk, 2014). In 1953, General Mohammed Daoud Khan became prime minister and turned to the Soviet Union for economic and military assistance (PBS News Desk, 2014). However, in 1973, Khan seized power of Afghanistan in a coup and declared the country a republic (PBS News Desk, 2014). In a pro-Soviet coup in 1978, Khan was killed and the Afghan Communist Party took control, declaring itself to be independent from Soviet influence and based on “Islamic principles, Afghan nationalism, and socioeconomic justice” (PBS News Desk, 2014). The Party faced opposition from conservative Islamic and ethnic people who came together as mujahideen, or guerilla fighters, to oppose the communist regime. (PBS News Desk, 2014). In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in order to support the frail communist government, sparking a long and destructive war (PBS News Desk, 2014).