Afghanistan: famous warlord Rachid Dostom returns to his country to save his stronghold
Former Afghan Vice President Abdul Rachid Dostum is also a former warlord.
AFP PHOTO / SHAH Marai
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While the military situation continues to deteriorate in Afghanistan, Abdul Rachid Dostom, the famous warlord is back in the country, announced his entourage.
This decision by the one who was vice-president of the country from 2014-2020 comes as Shebergan, the capital of his stronghold in the north of the country, risks passing into the hands of the Taliban.
This leader of Uzbek origin, renowned for his barbarism and the many war crimes for which he is accused, keeps a strong political capital in his country.
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It's a feedback that says a lot about the gravity of the Afghan situation.
Marshal Dostom, who had been in Turkey for several months, no doubt for treatment, returned to Kabul to discuss the situation in Sheberghan, his stronghold in the north of the country where pressure from the Taliban has increased in recent days, as well. than in several other large cities.
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If this northern region, which is far removed from the traditional Taliban strongholds in the south, were to fall under the control of the insurgents, it would constitute another setback for the Afghan government, which had recently called on former warlords and various militias to try to stem the advance of the insurgents.
Will the return of Abdul Rashid Dostom, a feared warlord, renowned for his cruelty, be a game-changer in the theater of operations?
Hard to say.
But since the withdrawal of international forces in early May, the Taliban have managed to seize in flash offensives vast rural areas and key border posts, now challenging the Afghan army at the gates of several provincial capitals.
To listen also Afghanistan: how to explain the longevity of Dostom, lord of war?
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Afghanistan
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