Everything Afghanistan

A caravan of Kuchi nomads on the move in Ghor province, in central Afghanistan. The mountainous central province, which borderers northern Helmand, is once of the poorest and most isolated in the country. Around 10-15,000 nomads pass through every summer, to their cattle. It is cut off for much of the winter by heavy snows which block unmade mountain passes. The police chief, General Khodayar Qudsi, said the province was overrun with illegal militias and riven by tribal disputes. Afghan government officials are often corrupt and ineffective, the Lithuanian troops based there (as part of Nato’s International Security Assistance Force) are too few to fight the insurgents, and so the Taleban are making in roads. In one recent dispute between the Taimani and the Zai Reza tribes, the Taleban offered both sides support , if they could set up their own checkpoints in the area.