2019/01/01 by Gilles Dorronsoro · 2 citations
Social Sciences · #Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East
paper · pdf · doi:10.4000/samaj.212
openalex publication_date 2019/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Kabul witnessed especially violent fights during the 1992-95 period. This article explains how, after the destruction of the state in 1992 following the fall of the communist regime, the city became a theatre of conflict between various armed groups. Contrary to popular opinion, the conflict in Kabul was not the product of irrational ethnic cleavages but the unanticipated consequence of rational strategies. More specifically, the city became a metaphor for the state, a central economic stake, and a place where opposing social groups fought each other.