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| Afghan Analysts Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | Afghan Analysts Network |
| Formation | 2009 |
| Type | Think tank |
| Headquarters | Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Region served | Afghanistan, South Asia, Central Asia |
| Leader title | Director |
Afghan Analysts Network is an independent research NGO based in Kabul focusing on Afghanistan-related analysis, policy commentary, and field-based research. It produces reporting, analysis, and multimedia on politics, security, development, and society with contributions from Afghan and international analysts, journalists, and scholars. The network engages with regional actors, international organizations, and academic institutions to inform debates on Afghan affairs, South Asian security, and Central Asian geopolitics.
The organization was founded in 2009 amid international debates following the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the NATO ISAF mission, and the surge in operations connected to the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). Early work intersected with reporting on the Taliban insurgency, the Karzai administration, and reconstruction programs funded by entities such as the United States Agency for International Development and the European Union. Its emergence paralleled the growth of think tanks like International Crisis Group, Chatham House, and Brookings Institution conducting field research in conflict settings. Over time the network provided field-based analysis during major events including the Kunduz offensive, the Helmand campaign, and negotiations around the Doha Agreement (2020), while covering interactions with actors such as Pakistan, Iran, Russia, China, and regional organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The network states a mission to produce independent, evidence-based analysis to inform policymakers, journalists, and civil society actors about Afghan affairs, drawing on field reporting, qualitative interviews, and open-source data. Activities include publishing policy briefs and field reports for audiences including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), diplomatic missions such as the British Embassy, Kabul and the U.S. Department of State, academic partners at institutions like Columbia University, Oxford University, London School of Economics, and media outlets including BBC News, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, and The Guardian. It also convenes roundtables with participants from NATO, the European Council, regional think tanks such as Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), and Afghan civil society groups.
Publications cover topics including insurgency dynamics (with references to operations by Haqqani network and local commanders), governance under administrations like Ashraf Ghani and Hamid Karzai, juridical issues involving the Supreme Court of Afghanistan, counter-narcotics linked to opium poppy cultivation in provinces such as Helmand Province and Nangarhar Province, displacement and humanitarian responses connected to crises in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, and peace processes involving delegations in Doha and diplomatic tracks tied to United States–Taliban negotiations. The network publishes analytical series, long-form features, datasets, and multimedia on social topics including ethnic relations among Pashtun people, Tajik people and Hazara people, religious dynamics involving Deobandi and Sufi traditions, and urban studies of cities like Kandahar and Herat. Its outputs have been cited by academic journals, policy reports from International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and coverage in news organizations such as Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The network operates as a non-profit entity with a board of directors, editorial staff, field researchers, and affiliated analysts. Governance draws on professionals with backgrounds in journalism, academia, and diplomacy, some having worked with institutions such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and university departments at Stanford University and Australian National University. Funding has been reported to come from a mix of foundation grants, project-based support, and institutional donors, including philanthropic entities and international development agencies; similar funders in the sector include Open Society Foundations, Sida, and bilateral donors from countries such as Norway and Germany. The organization has maintained partnerships with research centers including United States Institute of Peace and regional centers like Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Analyses by the network have influenced reporting on peace negotiations, human rights documentation, and assessments of state capacity during transitions such as the 2021 collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021). Its fieldwork has been used by diplomats and academics to contextualize developments involving Taliban governance and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-K). The organization has faced scrutiny over donor transparency and editorial independence from critics in Afghanistan and abroad, similar to debates surrounding other NGOs like Mercy Corps and Doctors Without Borders. Security risks to staff have arisen amid threats from armed actors and during events like the Kabul airport evacuation; contributors have navigated risks tied to press freedom documented by organizations such as Reporters Without Borders.
Contributors include Afghan journalists, regional analysts, and international scholars who have published on Afghan affairs and South Asian geopolitics. Notable affiliated figures have backgrounds connected to media outlets like TOLOnews, research fellowships at King’s College London and Georgetown University, and prior service in institutions such as the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and the United Nations. Several contributors have engaged in policy dialogues with delegations from Pakistan Institute of International Affairs, participated in academic conferences at SOAS University of London, and written pieces syndicated by publications such as Foreign Policy and The Washington Post.
Category:Think tanks based in Afghanistan Category:Organizations established in 2009