Across all provinces in Afghanistan, there are non-governmental organisations (NGOs) delivering assistance in the midst of violence and political instability. Their ability to implement programmes safely and effectively is increasingly jeopardised by the deteriorating security situation. In some districts, NGOs have significantly reduced their operations or even withdrawn entirely as their staff, projects and beneficiaries come under attack. In this challenging context, aid agencies have a responsibility to understand and manage their interactions with a range of armed forces active in Afghanistan.
The British and Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) and the European Network of NGOs in Afghanistan (ENNA) commissioned an independent research report in order to better understand the dynamics of civil-military relations on the ground. The research - 'Afghan Hearts, Afghan Minds: Exploring Afghan Perceptions of Civil-Military Relations' - focused on experiences in Paktia and Uruzgan. This paper outlines BAAG's and ENNA's concerns regarding civil-military relations in Afghanistan, based on our experience and findings in the research report.