Hazara-Taliban clashes add new dimension to Afghan war

Subject

Increasing Hazara involvement in the Afghan conflict.

Significance

Taliban advances into districts on the southern fringes of the ethnic Hazara heartland have encountered resistance from local militias. Locals are demanding stronger self-defence forces. Iran's influence is rising as a sponsor of paramilitary forces. The clashes risk adding a new ethno-sectarian dimension to the conflict.

Impacts

• President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is unlikely to win many Hazara votes in next year’s presidential election.
• Competition among Hazara factions to organise informal armed forces is likely to intensify.
• Hazara politicians may find it increasingly difficult to avoid Iranian influence.