Conflictual Peacebuilding: Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn

The report describes a 'conflictual peacebuilding' process in Afghanistan where the goals of the Bonn Agreement were often undermined by an ongoing war, a heavy dependence on foreign aid, and the continued influence of warlords. While it notes achievements in establishing a political arena and increasing school enrollment, it highlights critical failures in demobilization, human rights, and regional integration. The authors argue that the market-driven reconstruction model risks exacerbating regional inequalities and creating a 'rentier state' accountable to donors rather than citizens.

• The peacebuilding process is characterized as 'conflictual peacebuilding' because conflict was embedded in the rebuilding of the state and economy, further complicated by the ongoing war in parts of the country.
• The Afghan state is evolving into a 'rentier state' due to an extreme dependence on foreign funding for its operating budget and reconstruction, which shifts government accountability toward foreign patrons rather than the Afghan people.
• The strategy of 'capacity enhancement'—using foreign consultants and subcontractors to deliver services—is viewed as a substitute for genuine local capacity building and may undermine the state's long-term legitimacy.
• A market-driven economic model for reconstruction risks creating highly uneven development and social exclusion, potentially leading to the emergence of 'rogue provinces' in insecure areas like the South and Southeast.
• The US-led Coalition's practice of arming and paying local militias to fight militants has nurtured the warlord phenomenon and compromised democratic development and human rights.
• The political transition followed the Bonn Agreement's timetable, but the processes—including the Emergency Loya Jirga and the constitutional drafting—were often manipulated by power holders and international actors to ensure stability over genuine inclusivity.
• Human rights have been marginalized in the pursuit of short-term political stability, with UNAMA effectively winding down its human rights functions and the international community avoiding transitional justice for past war crimes.
• Security sector reform has been slow and piecemeal, with the Northern Alliance's refusal to withdraw forces from Kabul and the slow pace of demobilization (DDR) hindering the creation of a neutral political space.
• The regional context is critical, yet the peacebuilding process lacks a formal multilateral institutional framework for cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbors, relying instead on bilateral relations.
• Norway's engagement shifted from primarily humanitarian aid to a strategic military and development role, designating Afghanistan as a 'partner country' in 2004 to align with its NATO and US security relationships.

APA

Suhrke, A., Harpviken, K. B., & Strand, A. (2004). Conflictual Peacebuilding: Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/b9fafb6f-bda8-402b-9ec5-145dc674bbaf/Conflictual Peacebuilding Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Suhrke, Astri, Kristian Berg Harpviken, and Arne Strand. Conflictual Peacebuilding: Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2004. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/b9fafb6f-bda8-402b-9ec5-145dc674bbaf/Conflictual Peacebuilding Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Suhrke |first1=Astri |last2=Harpviken |first2=Kristian Berg |last3=Strand |first3=Arne |title=Conflictual Peacebuilding: Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2004 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/b9fafb6f-bda8-402b-9ec5-145dc674bbaf/Conflictual Peacebuilding Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{suhrke2004conflictual, author = {Suhrke, Astri and Harpviken, Kristian Berg and Strand, Arne}, title = {{Conflictual Peacebuilding: Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2004}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/b9fafb6f-bda8-402b-9ec5-145dc674bbaf/Conflictual Peacebuilding Afghanistan Two Years after Bonn.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }