Fresh Clash Near Mazar-e-Sharif

Factional fighting erupted near Mazar-e-Sharif over the weekend between loyalists of strongman Abdul Rashid Dostum and a local commander.

The clash, late on March 11 in Kod-e-Barq, a community 20 kilometres west of Mazar-e-Sharif, left at least one soldier dead and four others, including a civilian, injured. Houses belonging to Dostum and members of his inner circle were looted, and some were badly damaged in the fighting.

The incident followed last week's fighting in Maimana, some 200 km to the west, involving Dostum loyalists who moved in to drive out the governor of Faryab province.

The latest fighting has heightened tensions in the area, and highlights how tenuous peace is in the northern provinces. Security forces in the region are bracing for reprisals. An investigation involving staff from the United Nations and the NATO-backed Provincial Reconstruction Team is under way.

Kod-e-Barq is the site of a fertiliser factory and a power station, and home to several thousand people. It has also long been a support base for Dostum, who has a house there.

According to commanders who were involved and several eyewitnesses, the fighting began shortly before midnight when soldiers affiliated with the Jamiat-e-Islami party attacked houses belonging to Dostum and his associates.

Armed guards returned fire and the fighting continued for more than three hours, ending when Dostum's soldiers fled the village to a location about 6 km away.

"A large number of soldiers attacked our men in Kod-e-Barq," said Majid Rozi, a deputy of Dostum. "They looted ten houses of Junbesh-e-Milli members, including Dostum's house." He said the attacking soldiers were from the Jamiat-e-Islami party, and not part of the new national army.

Junbesh-e-Milli, headed by Dostum, and Jamiat-e-Islami are the major rival factions in the northern provinces of Afghanistan.

Rozi claimed that two soldiers were killed and that a soldier and a villager were wounded, but the additional death could not be confirmed. He warned that Dostum loyalists would react to the attack unless the government moved quickly to find and punish those responsible.

Mohammad Shafi, a sub-commander in the Jamiat-e-Islami party, said that his soldiers went to the area to secure the village, because they feared it would be attacked by Dostum loyalists following last week's fighting in Maimana.

"We captured Kod-e-Barq before they would attack us, as they did in Fariab province," Shafi said. "We made them withdraw." He said two of his soldiers were injured in the fighting.

One man who said his house had been looted, but declined to give his name for fear of reprisals, told IWPR that soldiers broke into this house and kidnapped about a dozen of his guests. The guests were beaten and later released. The soldiers took anything of value and smashed windows, doors and furniture, he said.

"They came, they looted my house," he said. "They broke down the door of my house. They stole my computer, some carpets, TVs, and other valuable belongings."

His guests, who he said were ethnic Uzbeks, left for their home province of Takhar, about 200 km to the east. Dostum is also an Uzbek.

Shafi denied responsibility for looting. "We did not loot any houses," he said. "What we did was seize about 100 houses and hand them over to the officials of Kod-e-Barq."

The fighting has left the community in fear and pleading for an end to the conflict.

"We want neither Jamiat-e-Islami nor Junbesh-e-Milli," said Ahmad Wali, 23, a resident of Kod-e-Barq. "We want peace and security. We ask the government to send the national army here as soon as possible to ensure security," he said.

Zaman, a factory worker in the village, said that "the warlords want to disrupt people's security by using their guns. The fighting panicked people, and we were awake from midnight until the morning".

Colonel Haji Abdul Ahad, a member of the national police said on April 12 that his officers were now keeping the peace in Kot-e-Barq and that life had more or less returned to normal.

"The police officers have been stationed around the district and the schools are open. We urge people to attend the mosque," he said.

And two high-ranking figures aligned with President Hamed Karzai predicted that the violence would end once the central government consolidates its power in the area in advance of the September elections.

"Be sure this violence, cruelties and fighting over power will not last for too long," said transport minister Sayed Mohammad Ali Jaweed. "The central government will slowly come to dominate all parts [of the country]."

Calling for calm, Jaweed said, "We will not be able to stand on our feet or improve our country unless we strengthen our national unity."

Ayatollah Mohammad Asef Muhsini, head of the Haraket-e-Islami faction, echoed Jaweed's sentiments, saying, "Down with guns and fighting. We do not want the gunmen in our country any more."

Nahim Qadery is an independent journalist and Sayed Yaqub is a reporter with IWPR in Mazar-e-Sharif.