Hizb-i Wahdat (The Unity Party)
Muslims comprise 99 per cent of the population of Afghanistan , approximately 80 per cent of them Sunni and the remainder Shi’a followers. The Shi’a minority is concentrated in central and western Afghanistan, and are among the most economically disadvantaged persons in the country. The Shi'a minority wants a national government to give them equal rights as citizens. In 1988, Iran united eight Shi’a parties (all but Harakat-i Islami) into Hizb-i Wahdat (The Unity Party), primarily consisting of the political representative of ethnic Hazara chiefs. In January 1996, Iran announced it had reconciled them under President B. Rabbani. Hizb-i Wahdat effectively controls Central Afghanistan. Commander Masood defeated the Hizb-i-Wahdat forces in Kabul in a February 1995 offensive after its ally, Hizb-i Islam, had been defeated by the Taleban. Hazarajat remains under the control of Hizb-i Wahdat, though initially the Jamiat government and later the Taleban contested their power in the town of Bamiyan. By November 1997 the Taleban-imposed blockade on the Hazarajat region ruled by Hezb-i-Wahdat had pushed the population (of about 1 million) to the verge of starvation.
External Support
Iran considers itself the protector of the Shi’a Hazaras from the Taleban who are Sunni and militarily anti-Shi’a. The Hizb-i-Wahdat is the instrument of the interests of the Iranian regime in Afghanistan, against the interests of Pakistan, currently expressed through the Taleban. The Hezb-i-Wahdat is alleged to provide espionage and agent provocateur services to the Iranian regime. The government of Iran has recognized B. Rabbani as the president of Afghanistan and diplomatic relations have been maintained through the Iranian consulate in Taloquan, in the Tajik-controlled north-east of Afghanistan, and not through Kabul, which was captured by the Taleban militia. Iran is providing Rabani-Dostem-Masood forces with thousands of anti-personal mines that are being deployed in Badghis province and the Bala Murghab areas.
Sources and Resources
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/hizbi_wahdat.htm
Created by John Pike
Maintained by Webmaster
Updated Saturday, August 08, 1998 7:35:41 AM
