Tensions Escalate in Bamyan as Shias Voice Anger Over Taliban Support for Kuchi Nomads

Tensions Escalate in Bamyan as Shias Voice Anger Over Taliban Support for Kuchi Nomads
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Tensions are escalating in Afghanistan’s Bamyan province as Shia communities, primarily of the Hazara ethnic group, express anger over the Taliban’s reported support for Kuchi nomads in a long-standing land dispute, Shia Waves Persian reported citing local sources. The conflict is rooted in a centuries-old range war over alpine pastures, which has been exacerbated by the Taliban’s policies and actions.

According to various reports, the Kuchi nomads, who are predominantly ethnic Pashtuns, have a history of conflict with the Hazara, a Shia minority group. This dispute dates back to the 19th century when an Afghan king issued an edict gifting Hazara lands to Kuchi clans who had assisted him in a war. The Taliban, which is also overwhelmingly Pashtun, has historically been a strong supporter of the Kuchi, both ideologically and pragmatically.

Since the Taliban’s return to power, reports have emerged of forced evictions of Hazaras from their lands, with some of these actions ordered by local Taliban leaders. In other instances, Hazara residents have been reportedly evicted by Kuchi nomads or a combination of the Taliban and associated militias. These actions are contributing to a long history of persecution and human rights violations against the Hazara people, who have faced mass killings and forced migration for over a century due to their ethnicity and Shia faith.

The conflict in Bamyan highlights a broader pattern of violence and injustice that stems from the hybridization of the Taliban’s religious fundamentalism with a discriminatory ethnonationalism. Rights groups and international bodies have previously expressed concern over the systematic nature of attacks on Hazaras, which have been described as bearing the hallmarks of international crimes.