Pro-Government Militias
Mohammed Qasim Fahim (informal) (Afghanistan)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 627 |
| Country: | Afghanistan |
| Date formed: | Aug. 6, 2004 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| Details of Formation: | This is the successor group of Mohammed Qasim Fahim (semi-official), starting in August 2004. |
| Date dissolved: | March 9, 2014 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The group’s termination date is coded as the day its leading warlord Fahim died in March 2014. There were efforts to disarm the Northern Alliance, of which the group was a member, and which was also commanded by Fahim. There is evidence that this could not be fully implemented. |
| Termination Type(s): | none |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | Mohammed Qasim Fahim (semi-official) |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | drugs |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; former rebels |
| Primary Membership: | ethnic |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Panjshair Valley |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | self-defense and security |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Tajiks (Afghanistan) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | inferred |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The group has no formal ties to the government anymore. We can assume that because of the friendly relationship between Karzai and Fahim, the group is informally pro-government. In 2009 Fahim became vice president again, but his militia is called "illegal" in the press, which suggests that there is no semi-official recognition. Sources report that Fahim was an obstacle to the disarmament process, because he was not willing to give up the weapons of his own militia and in his role as defence minister. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The group was used to counter the threat of Taliban attacks and fight the insurgents in general, as part of the Northern Alliance. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The commander of the PGM is reported to have been involved in assassinations and the protection of criminal gangs and drug traffickers. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The group was armed and in possession of ammunition, however, there is no information stating where this came from. The Northern Alliance received funding from the US, so the PGM may have received some support from it as well. Nothing is said about training. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group was led by Mohammed Qasim Fahim, the defence minister during Afghanistan’s transitional administration (and later vice president) who had significant power as a result of the strength of his militia. He also commanded the Northern Alliance the group was a part of. He had close ties to president Karzai whom he served as an adviser to from 2006 onwards. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.