Washington, Sept 13 (ANI): A prominent human rights group has claimed that militias and some units of new local police in Afghanistan are committing serious human rights abuses, such as rape, killing, arbitrary detention, abductions and forcible land grabs.
A 102-page report, by Human Rights Watch (HRW), accused militias and Afghan local police of carrying out abuses in Kunduz, Baghlan, Herat and Uruzgan province.
The report, Just Don't Call It a Militia, said that the Afghan government and the US should sever ties with irregular armed groups and "take immediate steps to create properly trained and vetted security forces that are held accountable for their actions".
According to the BBC, the report stressed that because the government has failed to hold these forces to account, future abuses will be likely and generate support for the Taliban and other opposition forces.
"The government has responded to the insurgency by reactivating militias that threaten the lives of ordinary Afghans," HRW Asia director Brad Adams said.
"Kabul and Washington need to make a clean break from supporting abusive and destabilising militias to have any hope of a viable, long-term security strategy," Adams added.
HRW's report is based on around 120 interviews with victims of abuses and family members, village elders, witnesses and non-governmental organisation workers.
The group claimed that in most cases of serious abuse documented in Kunduz, no action had been taken against those responsible.
"Patronage links to senior officials in the local security forces and the central government allow supposedly pro-government militias to terrorise local communities and operate with impunity," Adams said.
Meanwhile, NATO said it was working with the government to examine the findings. (ANI)
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