Peshawar, Pakistan - JIRGA

by Doug Pritchard

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December 26, 2001

"The United Nations mediation efforts here are misdirected," said an Afghan expert in conflict resolution to CPT’s delegation visiting Pakistan / Afghanistan. "They want to be neutral facilitators. But we expect mediators to listen and then make decisions in consultation with the community ‘jirga’ (council of elders)."

The CPT delegation is seeking to understand the prospects and techniques for peace-building in the region. Afghans in the majority Pushtu culture continue to emphasize the importance of the jirga. In a typical conflict, the disputants would first seek out a mediator: an older religious leader, or another "white beard", or those specialized in mediation called "khans" or "maliks", or a large landowner. The mediator would listen to both sides and then dismiss the disputants. He would then call together a jirga of community elders, including supporters of both disputants. The jirga would discuss the matter and find a solution and the mediator would announce it to the disputants. The jirga’s decision is final. The disputants then hug each other. If the matter is a big one, then an animal is killed for a feast.

On Dec. 21, the USA bombed a 40-vehicle convoy over a period of 7 hours near Khost, Afghanistan. The bombing killed at least 60 people from the convoy and the adjacent village. The convoy contained senior elders from local jirgas who were on their way to Kabul to participate in the inauguration of the new government. The USA said they had a report from a local Northern Alliance leader that the convoy contained four Taliban members and that their aircraft had been fired on. This killing of jirga members supporting the new government has caused much anger. The survivors have insisted that the new government investigate this bombing or there will be renewed fighting.

They said, "Not all people with long beards and turbans are Taliban. It is our national dress. The USA needs better intelligence."

The CPT delegation asked Afghans how this wrong could be made right. They replied that the USA cannot simply keep denying the mistake, nor should it try to buy off victims’ families individually. The USA needs to submit the matter to a community jirga if a real peace is to be built in a region ravaged by 23 years of wars fomented by foreign interests and armaments.

Afghan human rights workers are also upset at the USA’s earlier bombing of hundreds of prisoners held at Mazar-e-Sharif and the inhumane conditions in which other prisoners of war are being held across Afghanistan. They have said that CPT and other groups ought to investigate these abuses.

Will the UN and the USA and its allies facilitate or frustrate the peace-making efforts of Afghans? Afghans are hopeful, but these incidents will be a test of outsiders’ understanding and commitment.

The CPT exploratory delegation is visiting Pakistan / Afghanistan to learn more of what is happening on the ground in order to advise people of faith on how to support the struggle for justice and peace in Afghanistan. The delegates are Doug Pritchard (Toronto ON) and Gene Stoltzfus (Chicago IL).