Abstract

Chapter Five South Asia Afghanistan No side in the conflict in Afghanistan Key statistics 2016 2017 made a decisive breakthrough in Type: Internationalised Internationalised 2017. The Afghan National Security Fatalities: 16,000 15,000 Forces (ANSF), with assistance New IDPs: 650,000 470,000 a a from the United States and NATO’s New refugees: 500,000 400,000 Operation Resolute Support, prevented the Taliban from seizing control of a single provincial capital. However, by the end of 2017, the insurgents remained in control of 14 districts and were openly present in 263 others, thereby threatening at least 70% of the country. Both the Taliban and Khorasan Province (ISIS–KP), an affiliate of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, carried out a number of mass-casualty terrorist attacks in the capital Kabul that had political repercussions for the National Unity Government (NUG). Meanwhile, the peace and reconcilia- tion process with the Taliban saw little real progress. No progress on peace As the Afghan peace process remained moribund, Moscow hosted a series of talks apparently designed to give itself a stronger role in Afghanistan. Neither Kabul nor the Taliban were likely to view a peace process without the participation of the US as credible, however, and