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UN: CIVILIAN CASUALTIES ON THE RISE IN AFGHANISTAN The number of civilian deaths has been increasing for the fifth consecutive year. By Kanaga
Raja Last year was the fifth year in a row that civilian casualties have increased in the armed conflict in Afghanistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said. In its 2011 annual report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict in Afghanistan, released this month, UNAMA said that over the past five years, the number of Afghan civilians killed in the armed conflict has increased each year, with a total of 11,864 civilian lives claimed by the conflict since 2007. The UNAMA report, prepared in coordination with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, documented 3,021 civilian deaths in 2011, an increase of eight percent over 2010 (2,790 civilian deaths) and a 25% increase from 2009 (2,412 civilian deaths). According to a UNAMA press release, the loss of Afghan civilian lives resulted mainly from changes in the tactics of Anti-Government Elements that used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) more frequently and more widely across the country, conducted deadlier suicide attacks yielding greater numbers of victims, and increased the unlawful and targeted killing of civilians. UNAMA also noted that the effects of tactics employed by the other parties to the conflict also influenced the number of civilians killed and injured - civilian deaths from aerial attacks by Pro-Government Forces increased in 2011, in spite of a decrease in the number of aerial attacks and an overall decline in civilian deaths attributed to Pro-Government Forces. The UNAMA press release quoted UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Navi Pillay as saying: "It is extremely worrying to see civilian casualties continuing to rise year after year. Behind these numbers is real suffering and loss for families in Afghanistan. It is incumbent on parties to halt this trend and prevent such loss of life." "Afghan children, women and men continue to be killed in this war in ever-increasing numbers," said Jan Kubis, United Nations Special Representative for the Secretary-General. "For much too long Afghan civilians have paid the highest price of war. Parties to the conflict must greatly increase their efforts to protect civilians to prevent yet another increase in civilian deaths and injuries in 2012." UNAMA describes Non-State Armed Groups/Anti-Government Elements as those encompassing all individuals and armed groups currently involved in armed conflict with or armed opposition against the Government of Afghanistan and/or international military forces. They include those who identify as "Taliban" as well as individuals and groups motivated by a range of objectives including the Haqqani Network, Hezb-e-Islami, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Islamic Jihad Union, Laskhar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. UNAMA lists Pro-Government Forces as those including Afghan Government Forces as well as International Military Forces (IM Forces) and other government agencies. According to the UNAMA report, in 2011, UNAMA documented 2,332 civilian deaths and 3,649 injuries by Anti-Government Elements for a total 5,981 civilian casualties, an increase of 10% in deaths and injuries attributed to Anti-Government Elements compared to 2010. The report said that Anti-Government Elements increased their use of IEDs and suicide attacks against obvious civilian targets. In incidents where intended targets appeared to be military, those responsible for placing or detonating IEDs showed no regard for the presence of civilians and no evidence of distinguishing between civilian and military targets in violation of the international humanitarian law principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality. Anti-Government Elements also deliberately targeted and killed civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities, mainly individuals who supported, or were perceived as supporting the Government of Afghanistan or international military forces, the report added. In addition to targeted killings, Anti-Government Elements intensified their campaign of intimidation through erection of illegal road blocks, disruption of mobile telephone networks, delivery of threatening "night letters" and public threats to civilians working for or viewed as supportive of the Government or international military forces, organizations and companies. According to the report, in some cases, these threats caused individuals to leave their homes and jobs. Examples of this intimidation included the Taliban's October 2011 statement concerning the Loya Jirga in Kabul in which the Taliban warned Afghans not to attend and to expect severe repercussions if they did. Similarly, at the local level, the Taliban in Kunar province broadcast publicly the names of intended targets by using a mobile radio station. "The continued high rate of civilian casualties by Anti-Government Elements suggests that statements and proclamations alone neither resulted in improved protection of civilians nor minimized civilian casualties. The apparent disregard for the protected status of civilians resulted in an even greater number of civilian casualties attributed to the Taliban and other Anti-Government Elements in 2011 than in previous years." The report concluded that despite Taliban statements with improved messaging on civilian protection in 2011, UNAMA has not documented improved compliance with international humanitarian law by the Taliban or a reduction in civilian casualties due to improved targeting practices. The Taliban continued to directly target civilians, carry out indiscriminate suicide attacks and use indiscriminate weapons such as pressure-plate IEDs. "If the Taliban are serious about preventing civilian casualties, then the single biggest step the leadership could take would be to ban members from using landmine-like pressure-plate IEDs - weapons that are inherently indiscriminate and illegal under [Taliban leader] Mullah Omar's 1998 ban of anti-personnel landmines." The report noted that the widespread use by Anti-Government Elements of IEDs was the single largest cause of civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan in 2011. Between 1 January and 31 December 2011, UNAMA recorded 967 civilian deaths and 1,586 injuries from IEDs constituting 32% of the total number of civilian casualties in 2011. Further noting that the majority of IEDs that kill civilians in Afghanistan are victim-activated pressure plate IEDs, UNAMA found that the use of IEDs by Anti-Government Elements as a tactic of warfare increased in 2011 with six percent more IED explosions than in 2010. The UN Department of Safety and Security recorded an average of 23 IEDs detonated or discovered every day in 2011, twice the daily average in 2010. The report also found that the number of civilians killed by suicide attacks increased dramatically in 2011 compared to 2010. 431 civilians were killed, an increase of 81% from 2010. For example, in Kunduz province, civilian deaths from suicide attacks increased from 83 in 2010 to 145 in 2011. Suicide attacks accounted for 14% of all civilian deaths, and 18% of civilian deaths attributed to Anti-Government Elements. The shifting tactics of Anti-Government Elements also included targeted killings of civilians aimed at terrorizing the civilian population and weakening the Government's presence in particular locations. The campaign of targeted killings against civilian government officials and workers that emerged in 2010 continued in 2011 with no sign of decreasing. UNAMA said it documented 495 targeted killings of civilians, an increase of three percent from 2010. According to the report, unlawful killings remained a key tactic of Anti-Government Elements. Similar to other regions, the majority of killings stemmed from Anti-Government Elements' targeting civilians they accused of supporting or spying for the Government or the Afghan National Security Forces. "The ability of Anti-Government Elements to carry out these crimes with impunity reflects the power of these groups in some remote areas and an acute gap in the Government's ability to provide protection, rule of law and governance for civilians in these areas," the report stressed. With respect to Pro-Government Forces, the report found that in 2011, 410 civilian deaths were attributed to these forces, a decrease of four percent compared with 2010. Fourteen percent of all civilians killed in 2011 were attributed to Pro-Government Forces, a one percent decrease from 2010. Also, 335 civilians were injured as a result of operations of Pro-Government Forces in 2011, a decrease of 16 percent from 2010. Similar to 2009 and 2010, in 2011, aerial attacks accounted for the most civilian deaths by Pro-Government Forces - 187 civilians were killed in aerial attacks, a nine percent increase compared to 2010 (171 civilians died in air strikes in 2010). This rise in civilian deaths from air strikes reverses the decline seen in 2010 and accounts for 44% of the total civilian deaths caused by Pro-Government Forces in 2011. The increase in civilian deaths occurred despite reduced numbers of aerial operations by ISAF/Operation Enduring Freedom using fixed or rotary-wing aircraft (from 1,816 in 2010 to 1,675 in 2011). Unlike in 2010 and 2009 when the southern region experienced the most casualties from aerial attacks, the eastern region saw the majority of civilian deaths from aerial attacks, particularly in the last half of 2011 with 36 civilians killed. UNAMA said it welcomes the increasing attention ISAF has placed on minimizing civilian casualties through the extensive resources provided to the ISAF civilian casualty mitigation team, and renewed measures to review and update tactical directives and retrain troops on them. It however stressed that in view of the increased number of civilians killed by aerial attacks in 2011, "ISAF should take further measures to reduce civilian casualties caused by air strikes, ensure prompt thorough investigations with appropriate remedial action and publicize findings and actions taken." Civilian deaths from search-and-seizure night operations or "night raids" documented by UNAMA followed the downward trend seen in 2010 and 2009. In 2011, UNAMA documented 63 civilian deaths from such operations, representing a 22 percent decrease from 2010. Despite fewer civilian casualties, UNAMA noted, night raids continued to generate controversy and anger among Afghans countrywide.
UNAMA re-asserted the imperative for all parties to the conflict -
Anti-Government Elements, and Afghan national and international military
forces - to increase their commitment and efforts to protect civilians,
and to comply fully with their legal obligations to minimize loss
of life and injury among civilians. – Third World Network Features. -ends-
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